Cassia Serbus and the Eternal Flame
by originella
Summary: Cassia Serbus is a talented American Half-Blood witch, who is more than meets the eye. Leaving America for her final year of magical education, to be taken at Hogwarts, Cassia is faced with learning more about herself than ever. Then, everything changes, and the peaceful Wizarding World is under turmoil. Tasked with being a spy, Cassia must use her bravery and wit to protect.
1. Fight or Flight

It seemed like it was just yesterday that Cassia had arrived at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and, by an unexpected turn of events, became the first member of her family to be sorted into Thunderbird House. Cassia Serbus was just two and a half months away from her twelfth birthday when this event occurred; Serbus, if you guessed, was not a Wizarding Family name and, given that Pure-Blood Supremacists ran rampant in the 1980's, even in the United States of America, contrary to popular opinion, she drew criticism upon her admittance into the school, due to her family.

Cassia was a Half-Blood, born of a No-Maj father, businessman Johnathan Serbus, and Pure-Blood witch mother, Margot Romano-Serbus. Her father had two children from his previous wife, Clara, named Noah and Liam, who were learning the family business in the lumber industry, due to Cassia being born in the Evergreen State, on the other side of the country and, since her older brothers were also No-Maj's, they hadn't been accepted into the school. The Romano family was known for its connection to the mob in Italy, and they were also known not to be messed with, even though Margot Romano-Serbus had married a No-Maj.

The rest of the Romano family was known for their strong leanings into Horned Serpent, so the fact that Cassia got sorted elsewhere was nothing short of shocking. Moreover, Margot, Cassia's mother, didn't believe that her daughter was a witch at all, until she got her acceptance letter into Ilvermorny the previous summer, that is. Margot thought she had produced a Squib, and became content to ignore her daughter, denying her the affection she so craved growing up, and, instead, lavished all of her attention onto Cassia's younger brother, Edgar, who showed off his accidental magic early and often, much to his mother's delight.

It took years for Cassia to reach an embittered understanding that, no matter what she did, no matter how well she performed in school or her magical abilities, she would never escape from beneath Edgar's shadow. She was much better in school that Edgar was, and although did not show off her magic, so to speak, and Headmaster Roman Codde, a Thunderbird House alumni, never failed to congratulate her on her work. Cassia, although appreciative of the headmaster's efforts to ease her unhappiness, knew that a love from one's mother could not simply be replaced, and hungered for it all the more, especially as the years passed.

"If I have to hear one more word about Edgar, I think I'll curse myself," Cassia muttered bitterly to her best friend and housemate, Pure-Blood Samantha Willows, as she threw herself backwards onto her bed in their dorm room.

Samantha tossed her long, blonde hair, and smiled, her blue eyes gleaming. "Come on, Cass. I mean, Christmas can't have been that bad."

Cassia rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out in direction of her friend. "You're one to talk. You all live in New York, surrounded by love and extended family."

"Is Washington State really so bad? I thought your dad got time off for the holidays."

Cassia muttered under her breath. "He usually does," she replied with a huff, crossing her arms as she pushed herself upwards. "Not this year. Took Noah and Liam to the mountains to ski, for some 'networking'," she said, her tone bitter, putting the word in air-quotes. "I mean, it's not like I can really feel sorry for myself here. I'm seventeen, one of the oldest in our class, and I could have easily gotten out of there..."

"Well, why didn't you?"

Cassia swallowed. "Didn't want to be seen as that pathetic Half-Blood whose own family couldn't stand to have her home for the holidays."

Samantha pursed her lips. "You could've always come to New York. My family loves you. They say that waiting for the summer isn't enough, and you're always welcome for Christmas." She smiled at Cassia, and it quickly developed into a smirk. "You know, Julian was asking about you again," she put in.

Cassia wrinkled her nose at the mention of Samantha's younger brother, two years behind them at the school. "Um, no thanks. I've known him since he was _nine_," she said, stressing the word at her best friend. "He's practically my brother, too."

Samantha twittered good-naturedly at Cassia's reaction. "Least Alabaster could come to New York," she said, her entire body relaxing with happiness as she mentioned her steady boyfriend of over three years.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "He's great, Sam, really."

Samantha smiled. "You know, you could find a guy, too."

Cassia shook her head. "No thanks, I'm all right. Less than one more year, and then we'll get jobs at the MACUSA, just like we've planned," she replied.

"Aurors," Samantha said, her tone dreamy as she imagined their future. She quickly dropped it, however, and locked eyes with Cassia then. "See anything about it, yet?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. There's just smoke—black smoke. No idea what it means, but I know it doesn't mean I'm dead, at least, not yet." She swallowed then. "Great-great-great-grandma Sybylla's diary doesn't leave me much, I'm afraid."

"Your mom ever talk to you about her?"

Cassia sighed. "Not really. She lived a good long life, dying just before I was born. As far as I know, they weren't close."

"Does she know about the diary, then?"

"No," Cassia replied. "Those of us who are afforded the gift of Seer are entered into a mind-bond with the last member of the family to have the gift," she said, and Samantha relaxed against her bed, loving the tale. "Just after we get our acceptance letters, they begin the communication, leaving us clues as to where to find their diaries. We're then instructed to read all we can, plus write down our own observations into the next pages of it—its magically transfigured never to run out of pages—so as to pass it onto the next girl who has it."

"It's never been a boy?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. Only women in the Romano family have the gift."

Samantha pushed herself upwards then, swinging her legs off from her bed and gently rocking her heels upon the floor. "Fancy a run?" she asked.

Cassia's brows knit together. "What do you—?"

Samantha let out a giggle, before she shrunk down, gray fur dotting every surface of her body, a beautiful tail extending from her backside, and her eyes remaining bright and intelligent. The gray fox hopped from the bed where Samantha had been a moment ago, and scurried to the door of the room, as if to say, _You coming_?

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Alohomora," she said indulgently to Samantha, the door to the room clicking open. "Wait for me," she urged, shrinking down into her bobcat form, and running out of the room after her.

. . .

The welcome feast to congratulate the students for making it to the second-term was held later that evening, and Cassia was relieved. As much as she loved running around the mountains of the school in her Animagus form with Samantha, it often tired her out. She would need to eat plenty that evening if she was to regain her strength before their classes began the following morning. Just as Cassia, Samantha, and the rest of the students in the dining hall were about to eat their dinner, Headmaster Cobbe got to his feet, proudly making his way towards the podium, and the chatter instantly evaporated as he addressed the students.

"Good evening, all of you," he said, his kind voice, Southern accent, and large belly all radiating through him. "Before we begin our dinner, I have an announcement. It came to my attention at the end of term, that Ilvermorny School has not participated in the International Student Exchange Program, or the I.S.E.P., in quite a few decades. I reached out to our friends from across the sea, among them Hogwarts School in Scotland, Beauxbatons Academy in France, and Castelobruxo in Central Brazil. I'm happy to announce that my dear, longtime friend and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Scottish Highlands has accepted the terms. The teachers and I will review your progress from now until the end of the school year, wherein four students—two wizards and two witches—will be chosen as representatives within the program. You will then spend the duration of the next year at the other school, while four Hogwarts students will come here to Ilvermorny. As this is such a big to-do, one rule is that the students selected in question must be seventeen or older by the time they go across the globe. Meaning that they will be seventh-years by next year, so you will spend your final year of school in Scotland. Another thing—you will be sorted into a House at Hogwarts School, as well as be obligated to partake in the N.E.W.T.'s examinations, which are our equivalent to the H.A.R.E.'s, and will translate, as we've received special permission from the MACUSA to do this exchange program. If you are interested, please see your Head of House, and your name will be put up against the others, if your grades are deemed worthy enough. Best of luck to all of you who think you have what it takes to be among the chosen, and I hope we have a wonderful rest of the year."

. . .

Working hard was not exactly an alien thing for Cassia, as she would usually spend her vacation periods reading ahead in her lessons and seeking advanced forms of such things. She was already plenty ahead in her coursework, and although the professors and headmaster said that she could have easily qualified for graduation already, Cassia refused, not wanting to be singled-out further because of her family's ignoring of her, or her Blood-Status.

So when it was announced in June, just days before the end of second-term, that Cassia was one of the female students chosen, she nearly dropped her fork in shock. The other female was Samantha, an equally-brilliant witch in her own right, much to Cassia's relief. The wizards chosen were Alabaster Raywood, Samantha's long-term boyfriend, and Storm Drake, a member of Pukwudgie House. The only consolation of the upcoming trip was that Cassia was therefore no longer obligated to travel back home for the summer, instead opting to remain in New York with the Willows family during her final American summer.

An international Portkey was obtained from the MACUSA for their travel, and all of them gathered a day before term was due to begin back at Ilvermorny. Cassia had traveled by Portkey before, and although she didn't much like it, she had thankfully mastered how not to fall down completely upon arrival at the final destination. They were wished good luck by Headmaster Cobbe, before the Portkey—a rusty key—was activated, and they were subsequently swallowed up by its magic.

They burst through the atmosphere then, to cloudy skies and black iron gates, and were promptly shoved to the ground, narrowly missing the opportunity to break any bones. Dusting themselves off and making sure the Anti-Breaking Spells they'd cast on their shrunken trunks had worked effectively, they walked towards the gate and peered through, seeing the castle beyond. Almost as if by magic, five people made their way towards the wide-eyed young wizards and witches, and the one in the center, who had to be Headmaster Dumbledore, took down the wards which surrounded the gate and permitted the foursome access.

"Welcome to Scotland, and to Hogwarts," the headmaster said.

"Thank you," the four said in unison.

"These are the Head of Houses—Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House and our Transfiguration Professor; Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House and our Charms Professor; Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff House and our Herbology Professor; and, finally, Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin House and our Potion's Professor. And I, of course, am Headmaster Dumbledore," the white-bearded, spectacle-wearing man concluded.

Cassia looked over each witch and wizard Head of House in turn as they were being introduced to her and the three other Ilvermorny students. The first was a woman with her brown hair conservatively pulled back into a bun, with spectacles upon her nose, and while she clearly possessed a no-nonsense attitude, Cassia somehow knew she was a fair witch. The second, whom Headmaster Dumbledore had introduced as Professor Flitwick, was a dwarf, who too wore glasses, and carried a delightful smile on his face. The second witch among them, Professor Sprout, was a plump woman with curly, gray hair, who seemed to spend a lot of time in outside, due to her sun-stained cheeks and well-worn hands. The final man, the wizard and Head of Slytherin House, however, was something else, as he literally made Cassia's throat go dry, with his shoulder-length black hair, captivating black eyes, black robes which seemed to hold him in all the right places, and pale, pale skin...

"And what is your name, young witch?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes landing firmly on Cassia.

"Oh," Cassia said, clearing her throat then, and somehow managing not to blush. "My name is Cassandra Serbus; please call me Cassia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster Dumbledore, and it is also a pleasure to be at Hogwarts."

"Oh, yes, you're the first witch to be born into the Pure-Blood Romano family in over thirty years," the headmaster observed with a twinkle in his eye. "Headmaster Cobbe speaks very highly of you, Miss Serbus."

It was this time that Cassia did blush. "He is one of the few who does. I confess my mother believed me to be a Squib and, as such, my younger brother Edgar was the only one permitted love and affection."

Headmaster Dumbledore regarded Cassia then. "I am sorry to hear that, my dear."

Cassia smiled and shook her head. "That is all right, headmaster. I've grown used to it now, you see. While one of course covets a mother's love, it is not necessary in order to be a competent witch."

The headmaster looked amazed at Cassia's attitude, whereupon he smiled. "Headmaster Cobbe mentioned that both you and Miss Willows are Animagi?"

"We are, headmaster," Samantha said softly. "I'm a gray fox, and Cassia is a bobcat. We've been Animagi since we were fourteen."

"Professor McGonagall is a gray tabby," Headmaster Dumbledore said. "I am sure she will find both of you good company, you especially, Miss Serbus."

"Thank you," Cassia replied, and returned Professor McGonagall's smile when she saw that she was giving her one.

"Come along, then," the headmaster said, leading them inside. "Headmaster Cobbe didn't mention what houses all of you were. Would you care to enlighten me? You first, Mr. Drake," he said, looking over his shoulder at Storm.

"House Pukwudgie, sir," Storm replied.

"Very good, Mr. Drake," Headmaster Dumbledore said as they walked in through the front doors of the castle. "And you, Miss Willows?"

"Thunderbird House, sir," Samantha said.

The headmaster nodded. "Mr. Raywood? Your house?"

"Wampus House, sir," Alabaster said effortlessly.

"And what about you, Miss Serbus?" asked the headmaster as the nine witches and wizards journeyed into the empty great hall, save for the house tables, teachers table upon the dais which included a podium similar to Headmaster Cobbe's, and a lone stool in the center of the room, which currently was playing host to an old-looking hat.

"Thunderbird House, sir, like Samantha," Cassia said softly.

"Ah, wonderful," said the headmaster, and motioned for the Heads of Houses to gather around him, while the four new students stayed back. "We'll go alphabetically, then. Mr. Drake, please sit upon the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head."

Storm stepped forward, his blond hair illuminated all the more brightly in the floating candlelight, as he moved towards the stool. He carefully took the hat into his hands before sitting down, and placed it upon his head.

No sooner had it happened than the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!"

Professor Sprout stepped forward then as Storm took off the hat and placed it back onto the chair behind him, shaking Storm's hand and motioning for him to stand beside her.

"You're next, Mr. Raywood," said the headmaster to Alabaster.

Alabaster squeezed Samantha's hand as he left her side, crossing the room and walking towards the stool with confidence. It was much different than the Sorting Ceremony that they'd all partaken in while first-years at Ilvermorny, and Cassia wondered then how different all the other wizarding schools were throughout the world. She watched as Alabaster took the hat into his hands and sat, placing it upon his head, and waited in a patient manner, his blue eyes only for Samantha.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat proclaimed.

Professor Flitwick very nearly danced on the spot, somehow containing himself at the last minute as Alabaster replaced the hat onto the stool, and walked forward to shake the Head of Ravenclaw's hand.

"Miss Serbus, if you would," Headmaster Dumbledore said.

Cassia felt the lump rising in her throat as it had done when she was sorted previously. She walked up to the stool, and took the hat gently in her hands, now knowing that it was a living thing, and placed it carefully onto her golden-brown head. She recalled her own sorting again, and knew from the stories told that, if all four houses called for the student, they were permitted to select the house they wanted to be in. However, during her summer reading on the Sorting Hat, Cassia had discovered the term Hatstall, meaning that if the hat took more than five minutes to decide what house you were in...

"You're a smart one, aren't you?" the hat observed, interrupting Cassia's thoughts. "Cunning as well, very cunning; you've had to make sacrifices in your life which have truly defined you. However, your kindness to everyone is also a contributing factor, not to mention your apparent bravery... Yes. Yes. I can see it all now, just as you can see it, can't you, Cassia?" the had asked, and Cassia very nearly squeaked at the hat's words. "Gryffindor!" the hat said, and Cassia's mouth fell open, knowing that the corresponding Hogwarts House to Thunderbird was Slytherin, but the hat couldn't be wrong, so she took it off and placed it back on the stool.

Cassia crossed the room then, as Headmaster Dumbledore summoned Samantha to the stool to be sorted, and shook Professor McGonagall's hand, who looked quite pleased with the entire situation handed to them. "It's a pleasure to meet you, professor," Cassia responded to her statement about her delight at being sorted into Gryffindor, as well as meeting her.

"Ravenclaw!" the hat shouted from behind her, and Samantha handed off the hat to Headmaster Dumbledore, and went to stand with Alabaster and Professor Flitwick.

Professor McGonagall informed Cassia that she would show her to the common room, located in Gryffindor Tower, and that she was likely to be alone until the Hogwarts Express arrived with the other students the following day. Cassia moved to follow her new Head of House, and answered her questions flawlessly. However, just as they were leaving the Great Hall, Cassia felt a pair of black eyes upon her back and, turning, saw Professor Severus Snape staring back at her, almost as if into her soul, before her swept out of there via a door behind the teacher's tables, in a plumage of black robes, causing Cassia's breath to hitch in her throat as she quickly moved to follow Professor McGonagall out of there and up the staircase.

. . .

Professor McGonagall had shown her around the bits of the school which led to the common room, informing Cassia that each common room was guarded by a portrait, and that there was a password. The password at the time was novis initiis, which Cassia knew to mean 'new beginnings'; as they stepped inside the common room, Cassia took in the massive fireplace, and the large, red upholstered chairs scattered around the lavishly carpeted room. She gazed in awe at all of the portraits scattering the walls, who eagerly seemed to want to leap out of their frames as she came into view with Professor McGonagall.

"Now, don't make her feel as if she is in a zoo," the professor scolded them firmly, yet gently as she turned around and regarded Cassia with a smile. "Go on, dear. Introduce yourself to them, or you'll never hear the end of it."

"I'm Cassia Serbus, one of the witches selected from the exchange program from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Pleasure to meet you all," she said.

"Oh, my! An American!" one knightly man proclaimed.

"That is Sir Cadogan," Professor McGonagall explained, minute traces of annoyance peppering her tone. "I'm afraid he is one of the more excitable portraits."

Cassia smiled at her. "Not to be presumptuous, professor, but we Americans are known to be an excitable bunch."

Professor McGonagall laughed at her. "Well, I do suppose you're right." She looked over Cassia's uniform then, nodding her head. "This is the school uniform for Ilvermorny, then?" she asked, her tone curious.

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor. I assume it's no longer appropriate, now that I'm seen as a member of this school?"

The professor smiled considerately. "Well, each house here has a different uniform, so as to tell you all apart," she explained. "Just let me..." She lifted her wand then, transfiguring Cassia's robes into that of a Gryffindor House robe, complete with an undershirt, vest, black robe, slacks, socks, and dress shoes. "Now, for the finishing touch, and my personal favorite," she said with a smile, and turned the Gordian Knot into a Gryffindor tie. "You have other uniforms inside your trunk, then?"

Cassia nodded, removing it from her inner pocket and putting it back to its former size. "They're all in here," she said.

"I shall teach you the Uniform Transfiguration Spell," the professor said with a smile. "Come to think of it, I haven't had to do it in quite a while... Ilvermorny to Hogwarts. Are you ready for the incantation, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia took her wand out from the sleeve of her robe. "Yes, professor."

"It is Ilvermornia uniformis ut Hogwartia uniformis. Have you got that?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor, I think so." She turned to her trunk then, and said, "Ilvermornia uniformis ut Hogwartia uniformis," she a golden light came forth from her wand, lifting her trunk into the air, whereupon it shook for a moment, and came back down onto the carpeted floor beneath them.

"Very good," Professor McGonagall said with a smile. "Had it not worked, your trunk would have burst open, its contents flying everywhere, and your wand would have emitted nasty green-looking sparks."

Cassia smiled, straightening her tie a bit. "Um... Professor?"

"Yes, Cassia?"

Cassia sighed. "If one had an allergy to wool, could they perhaps transfigure their outer robes to flannel, and their inner robes to cotton, while maintaining the woolen look?"

Professor McGonagall looked shocked at the question.

"I'm sorry, professor!" Cassia said quickly. "I didn't mean any disrespect by it, I swear!"

Professor McGonagall shook her head then, and blinked. "No, no, Miss Serbus. It's just that what you just described to me was very advanced magic..."

Cassia smiled. "I've been doing pre-reading on being an Auror soon after I became an Animagus," she explained. "Charms are one of my best subjects, along with Transfigurations, and even though I have a lot to learn, I haven't botched anything like this yet."

Professor McGonagall smiled. "You want to be an Auror?"

Cassia nodded. "I do. Very much."

"Would you mind demonstrating your spell work to me, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, professor." She waved her wand then, uttering in flawless Latin, "Lanitium ut flannel," and then, "Lanitium ut bombacio," and her robes were promptly transfigured, leaving behind the furry essence that wool seemed to have atop every article of clothing it was made from.

"Very good, Miss Serbus. If only it were tomorrow, and I could aware ten points to Gryffindor for your innovative spells."

Cassia grinned. "Well, perhaps I could cast them again tomorrow."

Professor McGonagall laughed. "No wonder Severus seemed so displeased."

Cassia blinked. "Severus, professor?"

"Oh, pardon me, Miss Serbus. I mean Professor Snape. He seemed... Well, a trifle shocked when the sorting hat put you into my house."

"Thunderbird House is frequently associated with Slytherin House," Cassia said softly. "It was no wonder he was a bit shocked."

Professor McGonagall smiled. "Professor Snape doesn't get shocked, Miss Serbus," she replied, walking towards the spiral staircase to show Cassia where the seventh-year dorms were. "It is not an emotion he possesses."

"What other emotions doesn't he have, professor?" Cassia asked, walking up the staircase after her new Head of House.

The woman sighed. "You will see for yourself in potions class next week," she replied.

. . .

After a slightly restful sleep alone in the dorm that night, Cassia was up early to straighten things out and to take a shower. She put on a new set of robes, finding that a house-elf had kidnapped the ones she'd worn yesterday to bring down to the laundry, before heading down to breakfast at half-past-eight. She'd been told that day that the students wouldn't be arriving until close to dinner, which left several gap hours for her, Samantha, Alabaster, and Storm for themselves, where they were permitted to go to Hogsmeade, and through a special tunnel from Gringotts Wizarding Bank, to exchange their money, and then get to Diagon Alley, where they could purchase their books. Cassia had been told the night before that her class schedule would be waiting for her at breakfast the following morning.

While loading her plate with breakfast potatoes, sausages, and scrambled eggs, Cassia felt her stomach growl at the tasty food combinations before her. She filled her mug with some sweet-smelling and steaming hot chocolate, and was suddenly aware of four corners peeking up from beneath her golden plate. Perplexed, Cassia levitated her plate wandlessly and wordlessly, with a mere flick of her chin, and brought out the paper, before lowering her plate downwards again, and peered at the script upon it.

Cassia soon came to the direct conclusion that this paper was her schedule, with a map attached to the back of the parchment, which seemed to be charmed every hour to reflect direct routes to her classes. Smiling to herself, Cassia read her classes, which were due begin the following morning.

First Hour: Charms

Second Hour: Defense Against the Dark Arts

Third Hour: Potions

Fourth Hour: History of Magic

== Break for Lunch ==

Fifth Hour: Transfiguration

Sixth Hour: Care of Magical Creatures

Seventh Hour: Herbology

Eighth Hour: Apparition

Cassia swallowed then, knowing that the bookstore in Diagon Alley, Flourish & Blotts, would merely need to see her schedule, to know what books she would need. Just as she began cutting into a sausage link, Samantha came skipping into the Great Hall; she was always more of a morning person than Alabaster ever was anyhow. When she saw Cassia sitting there, she promptly moved to join her, and a golden plate, more food, and a piece of paper appeared before the two of them.

"Professor Flitwick informed Alabaster and me last night that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are the houses that share classes together," Samantha said, pouring herself a mug of coffee, which made Cassia wrinkle her nose. "That means we'll likely have different schedules, and won't see much of one another."

"We also have to adhere to school rules, and sit with our houses during mealtimes, and it's considered frowned upon to enter other houses common rooms," Cassia told her quietly. "But, we've got our Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley trip today. Plus, we can always study together in the library. Even though our schedules are different, I doubt the work will be much."

Samantha smiled, placated with that information, as she helped herself to some toast and what appeared to be homemade blackcurrant jam. "What electives?" she asked.

"Just Care of Magical Creatures," Cassia said. "I hear Professor Kettleburn lost an arm, a leg, and an eye because of his love for animals."

"Oh, I see how it is," said a deep, intoxicating voice from behind the pair of them, and Cassia and Samantha turned to see Professor Snape standing behind them, and his eyes were boring into Cassia, the same way they'd done the day before. "How typical."

Cassia remained impassive towards the implication, although she sensed Samantha growing uneasy from beside her. "Sir, I'm afraid I cannot confirm or deny what you deem to be typical, as you've not said specifically what is typical, only that you see or sense something to be, when, in fact, you don't know either of us, so to make an assumption like that is not only impolite, but a bit cruel. Isn't it?"

Professor Snape stared down at Cassia; never in his life had he been presented with logic like this before, and he wanted so badly to take points from her, but term had not yet begun, so he was at a loss of what to do. "I am claiming, Miss Serbus, that your behavior when speaking of Professor Kettleburn is typical for that of an American. You wish to ogle him."

"If by 'ogle', you mean 'stare', sir, then, yes, I'm afraid I must stare at him while he is lecturing me during his classes. Not to watch a teacher while lecturing is considered rude at Ilvermorny, as the professor will immediately believe they don't have your full attention. However, if by 'ogle' you mean to do so in a malicious manner, I'm afraid, professor, that your assumptions, in this matter, are incorrect."

Professor Snape gritted his teeth; he could not allow himself to be bested by a seventeen-year-old, or a Gryffindor, or an American, he just couldn't! "Well, then, Miss Serbus, perhaps you intend to pity Professor Kettleburn for his ailments."

"If he sustained them by doing something he loves, and doesn't feel sorry for himself for having them, then there is no reason to pity him, is there, professor?"

The potions professor looked flabbergasted by Cassia's words and, knowing when he had been beaten, took off in a plumage of black as he stomped away.

"You could've gotten house points taken for that!" Samantha said, swatting Cassia on her arm as she returned to her breakfast.

Cassia shook her head. "He couldn't have. Classes don't begin until tomorrow, and term doesn't start until tonight. I'm in the clear."

"Not unless he decides to try and trump up charges against you later..."

Cassia squared her shoulders and smiled at Samantha. "I can handle Professor Severus Snape, Samantha."

Samantha's eyes widened. "You know his first name?"

"Professor McGonagall let it slip out last night while she was showing me around. She had the courtesy to mention that he doesn't feel shocked under any circumstances whatsoever."

Samantha turned away then, watching the Great Hall doors, where the potions professor had stomped out of not two minutes ago. "That wasn't shock?"

"That, my dear Samantha, was rage at having a student better him, and beating him at his own game," Cassia said simply. "I won't allow by time in Scotland be marred by a professor who thinks he knows everything about me without being properly introduced. I don't care if it loses me house points or gets me into a detention or two. Professor Snape has no right to treat me like that and, if he does so again, perhaps Professor McGonagall can have a word with him." With that, Cassia nodded in a decided manner to herself, before she returned to her breakfast, with Samantha warily watching her.


	2. Thick as Thieves

Cassia's excursion into Hogsmeade and then Diagon Alley with Samantha and Alabaster had proved to be fruitful, as the money exchange went far more quickly than expected. Then the three of them were off to the bookshop to collect their books, one of them being _Advanced Potion-Making_, which made Cassia roll her eyes, remembering Professor Snape's words towards her as they ventured back out into the alley. A sign for Knockturn Alley greeted them towards the shadowy portion of the cobblestones but, having been warned by both Professors McGonagall and Flitwick about it, the trio stayed well-away from there.

Once they'd returned to Hogsmeade, Samantha seemed eager to check out Madam Puddifoot's Teashop, so Cassia separated from them so as the couple could have a proper date. The scent of autumn was already in the air as she trudged back to the castle, feeling its magic recognizing her own as she stepped in through the gates. Checking her watch, she knew that the Hogwarts Express was due sometime in the next three or four hours, meaning that she had time to return her books and things to her dormitory, have some lunch, and then explore the castle a bit before the influx of students deemed it appropriate to arrive.

After putting her books into the dormitory, Cassia fetched a sandwich from the Great Hall and moved back outside, wanting to get some fresh air before heading back in for the night. As she walked along, familiarizing herself with the Hogwarts grounds, she walked by the front gate again, and a popping sound and a sarcastic-sounding scream caught her attention. Turning, a young witch with a shock of blue hair literally came with a trip towards the gates; obviously, she had Apparated there, and she seemed to be a bit unsteady on her feet.

"Careful!" Cassia said, rushing forward, the gates opening automatically for her, and she caught the witch before she tripped herself up again. "Are you all right?"

The other witch looked up at Cassia, and smiled brightly, her hair immediately turning pink as she straightened herself out, dusting off her robes. "You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds proper," the witch explained with a laugh. "I always test the wards, though, to see how close I can get."

Cassia and the young witch moved away from the gate, so as it could close behind them, and the wards could re-establish themselves. "Isn't that dangerous?"

The witch laughed, tossing back her head as her hair changed from canary yellow, to lilac, and back to pink again. Her face resembled a hyena when she laughed, her nose and mouth literally turning into the animal, which made Cassia's jaw drop. "What? Don't tell me you've never met a Metamorphmagus before?" the witch asked curiously.

Cassia shook her head. "Sorry. No."

"Oh! An American!" the witch said, catching at her hands. "Are you one of the witches from Ilvermorny School in America?"

Cassia laughed aloud then. "Of course not," she replied, putting on a near-perfect British accent as she presented herself with a haughty demeanor. "Now where could you possibly get an idea like that?"

"You _are _an American!"

Cassia laughed again. "You're right, I am," she said, resuming to speak in her original tone of voice to the witch. "Cassia Serbus, Half-Blood, originally Thunderbird House, and I've been placed into Gryffindor for the year," she said, putting out her hand.

"Nymphadora Tonks, Half-Blood, Hufflepuff," the girl replied, taking Cassia's hand. "And if you ever call my Nymphadora," she said, her hair going red briefly, "I swear to you, I won't give you an easy time of it."

Cassia nodded. "Understood," she told her. "My family calls me Cassandra whenever I got into trouble over the years. Grew to hate my own name because of it... What do people call you, then?" she asked.

"Tonks, just Tonks," she replied, all smiles again, her hair back to pink in color. As they walked along, Tonks began peppering Cassia with questions. "So, you mentioned that you're a Half-Blood. Which side of your family has it, then, or is it both?"

"My mom," Cassia said, and Tonks nodded. "She's from the Pure-Blood Romano family, while my father is a No-Maj. He's a businessman, works in the lumber industry."

"Other than your mum, anyone else in your immediate family magic?"

"My younger brother, Edgar," Cassia continued. "Mom thought I was a Squib, because Edgar didn't mind showing off his accidental magic, and I was never that kind of person. So, there I was, starved for attention on both sides..."

"Why didn't your dad pay you any attention?"

"Dad's busy with work, and with his sons from his previous marriage, Noah and Liam," Cassia explained to Tonks, who looked saddened for her new friend. "He's always with them, and Mom's with Edgar, and then there was me..."

"I'm sorry," Tonks said quietly. "Mum and Dad are both magical in my family," she said, taking the non-verbal hint to change the subject. "Mum's a Pure-Blood witch from the Black family, and Dad's a Muggleborn wizard. Mum's parents and two sisters disowned her after she and Dad got married. Mum was a Slytherin, and Dad's a Hufflepuff, like me."

"You like your family?" Cassia asked.

Tonks nodded. "Course. Never much money, but plenty of love. You?"

Cassia laughed. "Too much money, never enough love. Or time."

"I'm sorry," Tonks said, reaching up and squeezing Cassia's shoulder. "But, one thing to take away from today, you've made a friend."

Cassia turned and looked at Tonks. "Great," she said with a grin. "Could always use more of those, really."

"So, after graduation, what are you going to do? You going to go back to America, live among all the Muggles?"

"Muggles?" Cassia asks.

"Your No-Maj's," Tonks clarified.

"Oh, right," Cassia said, and shook her head. "No. I've always wanted to work for the MACUSA since I was younger, to work in the Auror Department. So hopefully there's something in that, if I'm given the opportunity."

Tonks threw her arm out then, preventing Cassia from walking. "Wait," she said as Cassia turned to look at her. "You want to be an Auror?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Since I was fourteen, and well..." She smiled halfway then, and shrunk herself down to her bobcat form, and Tonks let out an excited shriek, prompting Cassia to step towards her, and nuzzle her leg affectionately, before she returned to her human form and got to her feet. "...since I could do that."

"You're an Animagus?" Tonks asked, clearly fascinated.

Cassia hunched her shoulders with a self-conscious grin. "Yeah, I guess I am. I was fourteen when I was able to put the potion together," she said to Tonks, answering the unanswered question her new friend had.

"My cousin is an Animagus," Tonks said eagerly, but the smile was quickly wiped from her lips, almost as if she remembered something.

"Tonks?" Cassia asked, peering into her new friend's face. "What is it?"

"My cousin... He's locked up," she said, looking uneasy.

"Oh, I see," Cassia said. "As in, somewhere where people can take care of him? Was he injured in the First Wizarding War?"

"No," Tonks replied, shaking her head. "He was sent to Azkaban for murdering twelve Muggles in plain view."

Cassia let out a gasp and covered her mouth. "God, Tonks, I'm so sorry..."

Tonks bit her lip before looking around. "I don't think he did it."

Cassia reached out, touching Tonks's shoulder then, the gasp escaping her lips before she could call it back, of Tonks and a black dog running around somewhere in springtime, deep in the young witch's mind. Tonks was laughing, and trying to catch the dog, who evaded her at every turn, before turning into a man with dark brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. He was taller than Tonks was, as Tonks was considerably younger in the memory, and took hold of the young girl and swung her around... The next thing Cassia saw was Tonks weeping over a newspaper called _The Daily Profit_, which was plastered with the story about the twelve Muggles being killed, and her cousin's face laughing eerily in the moving picture.

Cassia stumbled backwards then, ending the connection, holding her head as it pounded with Tonks's memories. "Oh, my..." She whispered.

"What... What was that?" Tonks asked.

Cassia bit her lip before locking eyes with Tonks again. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking as she attempted to speak. "I... My family, every few generations or so... We can see things," she said, whispering the words.

"You're a Seer?" Tonks asked.

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Not by choice, of course. I can't turn it off, but I can sometimes control it, if I think it's going to happen."

"How does it happen?"

"Physical contact, for one thing," Cassia told her. "Sometimes all it takes is a visual connection between me and the other person, but those are rare cases."

"Has the second one ever happened to you?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. Like I said, it's extremely rare, and it usually only happens when I touch someone. If it's an accident, I sometimes can't avoid it. If it's on purpose, I can usually block it if I focus hard enough."

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Tonks asked, her voice shaking slightly then. "About _The Daily Profit_..."

Cassia swallowed, remembering the headline below comparing Sirius Black to another mad-looking witch, Bellatrix Lestrange, who had a smaller picture on the front page. "No, I won't tell anyone," Cassia told Tonks.

Tonks nodded, and they began walking back to the castle. "You can ask me, you know," she said quietly as they walked.

"What?" Cassia asked.

"You can ask me who Bellatrix Lestrange is."

"Oh," Cassia replied. "All right. Who is she, then?"

"A supporter of the Dark Lord," Tonks spat; even from across the pond, Cassia was well-aware of who Tonks spoke of.

"Why was the paper comparing her to your cousin?" Cassia wanted to know.

Tonks sighed then, biting her lower lip before she turned to look at Cassia. "She's also my aunt, my mother's sister," she said softly.

It was then that Cassia caught a glimpse of a flashing green light in Tonks's eyes, but she could not pinpoint if Tonks was the caster, or the recipient, of the Killing Curse.

. . .

The rest of the seventh-year Gryffindors seemed to be very interested in Cassia's arrival, peppering her with questions about America, growing up on Washington State with a No-Maj for a father, how No-Maj's and Muggles compared to the other, and, of course, attending school at Ilvermorny. They were amazed that Cassia didn't seem to understand the significance of beans on toast, but were relieved that she was willing to call cookies 'biscuits'. However, they were also very pleased to hear about how Cassia had stood up to Professor Snape during breakfast on the first of September, so Cassia found herself in good company.

"What's America like?" asked a first-year, Katie Bell, who had bright, dark eyes and long, black hair, as she stared upwards at Cassia.

Cassia smiled at the eleven-year-old Gryffindor student, remembering what it was like to be that age and to have it all ahead of her, so to speak. "Well, only parts of the country have accents," she said, and there was a collective gasp at her words. "Mainly, Southern, New York, Boston, and New Jersey are the ones you hear of."

"You live in Washington State—or, you're from there," piped up another first-year, who was called Cormac McLaggen, who Cassia could tell would be a heartbreaker for his good looks when he got older. "What's it like over there?"

"Very like here, I'm afraid, weather-wise," Cassia said, almost to her limit at hearing that she'd be right at home in the United Kingdom. "It rains quite frequently there."

"What does your dad do?" asked fellow seventh-year Charlie Weasley, who had already made himself a friend towards Cassia. "He's the No-Maj, right?"

Cassia nodded, remembering how much Charlie had said that his father, Mr. Weasley, had found Muggles fascinating, and worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic and, therefore, had not passed down any form of prejudices towards his seven children, despite them being Pure-Bloods. "Yeah, Dad's in the lumber business; we're known as the Evergreen State, you see, and there's a lot of forests throughout the state," she explained. "His job is to organize humane tree-cuttings, and then he's in contact with various businesses to sell the wood to, be it furniture stores or construction businesses, things like that. He sells the wood to these companies, and so a lot of his time is spent networking with my older brothers, Noah and Liam, who are going to succeed him in the business, to find new companies so that ours can expand more fully."

"He works a lot, then?" Cormac asked.

Cassia sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid so. As an American No-Maj male, they take their work really seriously, and he's instilled a good work ethic in Noah and Liam."

"He makes time for you, though, doesn't he?"

Cassia turned and smiled at Katie, who'd asked the question; Katie had made herself quite the pet of Cassia in the last few days, and Cassia didn't mind, as she'd never had any sisters, and it was likely that Katie was missing her parents. "He tries to," Cassia replied, putting an arm around Katie's shoulders as she burrowed into Cassia's side, "he really does. But Dad and the boys are really committed to their jobs, so while I don't see any of them as much as I would like, I know he does love me."

"He never made you feel bad for being a witch, did he?" Charlie asked, his brown eyes flashing in a moment of protection, and Cassia smiled at him.

"No," she replied, leaning forward and gently shoving Charlie off the ottoman in front of her, and he slid easily to the ground, laughing, while his younger brother, third-year Percy, looked up from a textbook of his from across the room, rolled his eyes, and returned to it, but joining into the laughter were the youngest resident Weasley siblings, the only twins of the family and second-years Fred and George, who sat on a chair and the arm of the chair just beside the couch that Cassia and Katie occupied. "Dad wanted to know all about it when he found out that me and Edgar were a witch and a wizard."

"You've got another brother, then?" Cormac asked, leaning against the side of the fireplace, his arms crossed.

"Yes, just the one younger one," Cassia explained. "He's fifteen."

"It's nice having a lot of siblings," Charlie put in, dusting himself off and rearranging himself on the ottoman opposite Cassia and Katie. "It's also nice to know that I have until graduation to be the oldest, and then Percy takes over," he went on, and Cassia could tell that he was unsure if Percy was fully up to the task.

"You said Bill worked at Gringotts?" Cassia asked.

Charlie nodded. "Yeah. Seems to like it there, being a curse-breaker and all."

"Ron comes next year," Fred said, speaking up.

"He'll be in Gryffindor for sure," George went on.

"Like the rest of us," the twins said in unison.

"But, you said there were seven of you," Katie put in, and Cassia smiled to herself, pleased that the first-year felt comfortable posing the question.

"That's right," Charlie said, smiling at Katie kindly. "Ginny's due to start a year after Ron. Big mess of long red hair, that one—apparently, looks like Mum did when her and Dad were at Hogwarts together."

"Sounds like a lovely family," Cassia said. "Wish mine was like that..."

"You'd miss the money," Fred and George said together, causing Percy to conjure pillow and throw it at them from across the room; he missed, but the desired affect was intended, and Cassia gave him a small smile, and Percy nodded back.

. . .

After the Gryffindors had breakfast, Cassia, who had already summoned her potions textbook from her dormitory, and pocketed the map, went after Charlie, towards the charms classroom, upstairs towards the top of the castle. She was relieved to know that she would have a friend in class, and Charlie chatted her up, as he called it, all the way there, letting her know all there was to know about dragons, a subject Cassia had never given much thought to but, nevertheless, enjoyed immensely. Once they sat down, Charlie re-introduced Cassia to Professor Flitwick, who told her that he was very happy to have her in class, and finished preparing the lesson as the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin students filed into the classroom.

"Leave a boyfriend back in America?" Charlie asked.

Cassia laughed aloud then, and shook her head. "No. My best friend, Samantha—you met her," she said, and Charlie nodded, "was always more of the dating type."

"Yeah? But you're so..."

"Annoying?" Cassia asked, and Charlie looked shocked. "A know-it-all? Too smart for my own good? An overachiever? Not... Not attractive," she said, and felt her brow puckering slightly at that, despite the fact that she fully believed it to be true.

"You kidding? You're plenty good-looking, Cassia!" Charlie said, looking shocked at her self-deprecating declaration.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Okay, Charlie."

Charlie grimaced, but decided to drop it. "So, no boyfriend?"

"No." Cassia shook her head. "You? You got a boyfriend?"

Charlie's eyes widened then, and he looked unsure. "How did you...?"

Cassia smiled at him. "I'm a Seer, who mostly sees into the past," she explained. "I saw it when I shoved you off the ottoman. I promise, not that it's any of my business, but I won't say anything if you don't want it out there. But you've got nothing to worry about. You'll always be my friend, Charlie. I don't care who you're into."

Charlie looked relieved. "Same for you, Cassia. No matter who you're into." He hesitated for a moment, thinking. "So, if you don't have a boyfriend, how do you occupy your time?"

Cassia shrugged. "Well, I spent my time... Well, doing other things."

"Like what?" Charlie asked.

Cassia bit her lip, and was about to speak, but was interrupted by Professor Flitwick. Cassia flushed red, thinking that points would be taken for her talking in class, but she was surprised that that wasn't it at all. Instead, she was left at a loss for words at what her charms professor asked of her.

"Professor McGonagall informed me that you are capable of producing a Patronus Charm, Miss Serbus," Professor Flitwick said, obviously enchanted. "When did you learn the spell?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor. My best friend, who is now a Ravenclaw, Samantha Willows, and I... Well, I read ahead in a textbook, finding the piece of magic, and wanted to see if I could produce it for myself. She and I produced one."

"And you were how old?"

Cassia cleared her throat and lowered her eyes. "Thirteen," she managed to get out, a flush blooming on her cheeks.

"Would you be willing to give us all a demonstration, then?"

"Yes, o-of course, Professor Flitwick," Cassia said, taking out her wand from the sleeve of her robes—twelve and three-quarter inches, fir, Thunderbird tail feather, unyielding—and briefly considered a happy memory. She shut her eyes, recalling the first Christmas that she had spent in the Willows household, when she was eleven; on Christmas Eve, they'd all opened one gift, even Cassia, and each child had been given a new pair of flannel pajamas to wear. Just before bed, they were given cookies and hot chocolate, and, clutching her new transfiguration textbook that Mr. and Mrs. Willows had given her, Mrs. Willows had drawn her to her chest, like she had to her sons and daughter previously, and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Cassia. We all love you very much." Cassia's eyes snapped open then, and said aloud, "Expecto Patronum!" and the sleek and elegant-looking bobcat burst forth from the tip of her wand in a ball of silver light, before it ran around the classroom for a moment, delighting the other students, and Professor Flitwick, before it disappeared through the window.

"Excellent, Miss Serbus! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Professor Flitwick said. He hesitated for a moment, before he spoke again. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I recall, informed us all of the fact that you are an Animagus as well, but I think the rest of us would like to see it for ourselves, if you're so inclined."

Cassia swallowed then, looking next to her, at Charlie, who looked amazed and delighted with the prospect of seeing an animal in the flesh, and nodded eagerly, while all the while the rest of the class was a-buzz with agreement, even some of the Slytherins. "Very well, then," Cassia said, getting to her feet and walking towards Professor Flitwick, standing on the floor below his podium, which had been stacked with some rather thick tomes to give him more perspective about the room. Cassia swallowed then and, focusing as much as she could, felt herself shrinking downwards, and sat immediately at attention, her bobcat form looking expectantly around the room. Just then, she felt her back go rim-rod straight as Professor Snape strode in the room, likely wanting to speak to Professor Flitwick, and stared down at her immediately in a moment of confusion.

"What is _that_, Filius?" came the potion professor's question, directed at the charm professor, his lip curling in a sneer.

"That, my dear Severus, is a bobcat, known for many regions throughout North America," said Professor Flitwick, obviously so used to Professor Snape's demeanor that it hardly bothered him after so long.

"This is hardly an appropriate setting to showcase such an animal," said the potions professor; in fact, he seemed downright angered to have it right in front of him. "Perhaps Professor Kettleburn can be persuaded to take that oversized kitten off your hands."

She felt her teeth coming above her lips then and, in a moment of pure anger, she felt her Animagus growl and, before she could stop herself, she screamed. She opened her mouth fully then, her fangs quickly becoming apparent to those around her, and her ears went flat-back against her furred skull. Her hackles came up of her own accord, her tail poofing out dramatically and sticking straight out, while all the while she continued to yowl at the professor before her, who looked shocked by the display.

Finally, Cassia retracted her claws and drew herself upwards, back to her human form, and the shocked expression remained for a moment before the potions professor stared down his nose in a disapproving manner at her. "I think, sir, that you will find that 'kitten' is a term used for a juvenile cat, and I am nothing of the sort. You will find, however, that I am much more accepting of the term 'queen'," she said, smirking at him, before returning to her seat with Charlie, who slapped her five from beneath the table.

"Fifty points from—"

"Now, Severus," Professor Flitwick said, cutting him off. "Perhaps one can make a case for you offending Miss Serbus in animal form. While she has been an Animagus for three years now, it takes much longer than that to be disciplined in the art. Therefore, I think taking disciplinary action against Miss Serbus would not only be inappropriate, but downright cruel. I asked Miss Serbus to showcase her Animagus form, so if it's anyone's fault that she reacted in such a way to your insults, it's mine."

"You cannot possibly mean that, Filius," cried Snape, obviously annoyed with the notion that a Gryffindor lion was getting away with insubordination.

"I do mean it, Severus," said the charms professor, not backing down. "Now, then. What is it you wished to see me about? Or can I return to my lessons?"

Snape swallowed then, mustering a quick glare towards Cassia, before he returned his gaze back onto the charms professor. "I need a copy of _Quintessence_: _A Quest_," he said, his tone thick with annoyance at being upstaged by the other professor, especially in front of a good handful of his seventh-year snakes.

"Yes, of course," the charms professor replied, smiling broadly at his friend, before flicking his wand towards a red book with gold lettering, and permitting it to fly into Snape's arms. "Will there be anything else, Severus?"

"No," Snape replied through his teeth, before streaking out of the room, and slamming the door firmly behind him.

. . .

"And here we have the dungeons," Charlie announced, two hours later, once they had finished charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. "You'll get used to that," he went on, watching as Cassia's opposite hands gripped her opposite shoulders as she shivered slightly, but soon took pity on her. "Here. Focillo," he said, removing his wand and swishing it about and, instantly, Cassia felt warmer. "Is that better?" he asked.

Cassia nodded immediately then, a slow smile forming on her lips. "Thanks."

"Don't let Professor Snape see you making that face," Charlie warned quickly, before they headed into the classroom. Charlie motioned to where he sat, with a brief explanation, "My potions partner got chosen to attend Ilvermorny, so I guess you're stuck with me."

Cassia shook her head. "I don't think of it like that. You're a nice bloke, Charlie Weasley, as the saying goes," she said with a smirk.

"From you, Cassia Serbus, I take that as a compliment," Charlie said, as they sat on their stools, and took out their potion textbooks, and waited for permission to light the flame beneath their cauldrons, which were positioned between them. "Just to warn you, Snape usually comes in and slams the door behind him, which rattles the room."

Cassia nodded. "Good to know," she replied.

Not even a moment later, at ten o'clock exactly, the door to the dungeon classroom slammed, and Professor Snape made himself known in a sea of black robes and his long, black hair. His eyes temporarily bored into Cassia's for a moment; apparently, he was still smarting from their interaction in charms class earlier. Finally, he broke the gaze and moved to address the class, charming his chalk for the board behind him to write as he spoke.

"Today, we will be brewing the Draught of Peace," he intoned, his lip curling automatically at the final word, and Cassia took it to mean that he felt just the opposite when it came to her, especially when he took a moment to glare at her again. "Can anyone tell me what this potion does?" he asked.

Cassia calmly raised her hand, not at all expecting to be called on, but, when she was, answered it flawlessly. "It relieves tension and nervousness from the consumer, Professor Snape," she replied, not sounding pompous at all.

Professor Snape gritted his teeth. "Yes, Miss Serbus, that is indeed correct. Five points to Gryffindor," he said, not at all excited by the prospect of awarding points to a lion. "Now, will someone now tell me one ingredient used in the potion? Yes, Miss Serbus?" he asked, as Cassia raised her hand once again.

"Powdered moonstone, Professor Snape," she said quietly.

"I'm afraid that is also correct. A further five points to Gryffindor," he replied, looking around the classroom, eyeing his snakes in disappointment. "And, finally, once your potion is completed, what color _should_ it be?" He sighed then, slightly disappointed that Cassia was fully prepared to answer the question again, but nevertheless inclined his head. "Yes, Miss Serbus? I take it that you have the answer?"

"I do, sir," Cassia replied, no hint of animosity in her tone. "The desired color of the completed Draught of Peace, if done right, should be a turquoise-blue, professor."

"Yes. Correct. Five points to Gryffindor." The potions professor looked away from Cassia again, so as to address the class. "The intended recipe can be found on page twenty-four of your textbooks. Please attempt to contain yourself as you scurry along like beetles in an effort to get your ingredients. If you damage an ingredient before you can use it, you will lose five points for the day. If the ingredient that you damage is of the rarer kind, your house will be forfeit ten points. Now, read over the recipes and do not make any mistakes." He then finished writing instructions on the chalkboard via spell and then moved to his desk.

Cassia got to her feet as Charlie did so, with Charlie giving her a shocked expression that she'd just won them fifteen house points. Cassia shrugged as they gathered the powdered moonstone, plus hellebore syrup, powdered porcupine quills, and unicorn horn—which they would have to powder themselves, in respect of the animal—before the pair of them returned to their desk and lit the flame beneath their respective cauldrons. Cassia read through the recipe carefully; if there was one thing her mother always told her, for she was known to be an exceptional cook, it was to always read-through your recipe before attempting to make anything.

Cassia was very precise as she used the kit she had bought upon her arrival in Diagon Alley a few days previously, powdering the horn carefully, and adding the proper ingredients, putting the potion to simmer, stirring it until it changed color, and never deferring at all from the recipe in the slightest. As the hour began to draw to a close, she adjusted the cauldron's heat to simmer, before she, and added _exactly_ seven drops of hellebore. The white concoction, upon the adding of the final ingredient, immediately proceeded to turn turquoise, and Cassia smiled to herself, relieved that it seemed to work appropriately.

"How's yours?" she asked Charlie, and was amazed to see that his was the desired blue tint as well, and was pleased for him.

"Seems all right. Wow," Charlie said, getting a good look at Cassia's. "Mine's all right, but yours is _beautiful_, Cassia—"

"_I_'_ll_ be the judge of such things, Mr. Weasley," said Professor Snape, cutting across Charlie's compliment as he stepped forward, staring into Cassia's cauldron. "Congratulations, Miss Serbus; on sight, it appears not to be an utter failure."

"Thank you, professor."

"Do you have confidence in this brew, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I believe so, sir."

"Because," Snape went on, summoning a goblet, "if you manage to kill me from me drinking your work, then you'll spend life in Azkaban." He hesitated. "Is it true that they still employ capital punishment in America?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor, although now they've outlawed it for mentally insane persons, or those under the age of sixteen." She lowered her eyes. "It's about time they did something about those laws. They seem terribly archaic."

"Capital punishment on the whole is an archaic practice, Miss Serbus."

Cassia's eyes immediately raised themselves, locking onto the professors. "No, I don't think so, sir," she replied. "If the person killed a mass number of people at one time, or picked off several innocent individuals over the years, or attempted to kill a child, justice can only be served if they themselves pay the price they dealt to their victims." She hesitated for a moment, her heart beating erratically as she held his gaze. "What if it was someone you loved, professor?" she asked him then, and there were collective gasps about the room. "Wouldn't you, then, want the ultimate punishment for the killer?"

"It's not something I need to think about, Miss Serbus, for I love no one."

Cassia felt a wave of pity flowing through her then. "Well, I am sorry for that, sir," she said then, and lowered her eyes back to her potion.

Taking the hint, Snape conjured the potion into the goblet he held, and took a sip, nodding his head in approval. "Wonderful. You get an Outstanding for this," he said, vanishing his portion of her potion from her goblet, not looking at her again as he moved onto Charlie.

Cassia spelled the potion out of her cauldron and into the vial that Snape had sent her way, and she felt pleased, oddly enough, that he seemed to want to keep it. She slipped her books into her back, and moved to leave with Charlie, but a voice from behind her called her back.

"Stay a moment, Miss Serbus."

"I'll tell Professor Binns you're on the way," Charlie whispered to her, and Cassia nodded, lowering her bookbag back to the floor, and remaining in her seat as Charlie left the classroom, along with all the other lions and snakes.

"I'll write you a note for History of Magic, Miss Serbus," Professor Snape said, his hands folded for a moment before he spelled the door shut after the remaining students had left.

Cassia forced herself to nod. "Yes, sir." She hesitated for a moment. "Look, sir, I'm sure even you know that we've gotten off on the wrong foot. I don't want to be enemies with one of my professors, especially one whose class I enjoyed so much at Ilvermorny."

Severus Snape was shocked that, not only had she answered three questions in a row correctly during the class time but, on top of all the cruelty he'd dished out to her so far, she'd been nothing but polite, and now she was apologizing to him. He crossed the room then and stared at her, bending over her desk, and was amazed when Cassia didn't shrink back from him, and, for the first time, he caught a glimpse of her eyes—beautiful hazel, surrounded by a darker green upon their edges, with flecks of both brown and gold throughout. "Have you brewed this potion before, Miss Serbus?" he asked, indicating the vial, now on his desk.

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor, I have."

"When?"

"My fifth-year, at Ilvermorny, sir. It was considered to be standard curriculum. But, I do suppose that every school has similar curriculum, but not necessarily in the same order..."

"Your professor is Zahra Barrows?"

Cassia nodded again. "Yes, professor. She's been there since 1978."

"Yes, I'm aware," he replied, not looking away from her. "Has she spoken highly of you at any point in time?"

"She singled out me and Samantha Willows with the task to brew an Animagus potion when we were fourteen, and we were both successful. So, I'd say we have a good relationship, sir. I always did enjoy potions."

"And you took your O.W.L.'s in potions?"

Cassia smiled slightly, and such a look was not lost on the professor, whose lips parted at how much her face lifted up and shone, all because of her lips moving in the opposite direction. "I have never taken the O.W.L.'s, sir. We call them E.A.G.L.E.'s, or Excruciatingly Aggravating Graduate Level Exams, in America, and yes, I did take the potions exam, as it, too, is considered a core class subject."

"How did you fare?"

"An O, sir. Like the rest of them."

He blinked. "You go O's in every one of your O.W.L.—excuse me, E.A.G.L.E.'s subjects?" he asked, completely shocked at her calm demeanor.

Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor. I read a lot, and tend to read ahead. I've already begun my research on my intended career, other than my homework assignments and preparing for my N.E.W.T.'s examinations, of course."

"Professor McGonagall mentioned you wish to be an Auror?"

"Yes, professor."

"You think you can truly make a difference?"

Cassia laughed a little then. "One can try, sir."

Snape blinked. "You don't know for sure? What about your reading?"

"My specialties are the past, professor," she said, spreading her hands, and Professor Snape looked intrigued and shocked at her answer. "Now, I don't want Charlie to have to brave Professor Binns on his own, despite the rumors that History of Magic is frightfully boring. May I be excused now, sir?"

Snape nodded then, almost as if he had been in a trance. He summoned a note and scrawled his signature upon it, and handed it over to Cassia. "There you are."

Cassia gasped a little then when his fingers brushed hers, and Severus stiffened slightly at the contact, and saw a flash of a skull moving on bare skin—even she did not need telling twice as to what that mark was. "Thank you, professor," Cassia somehow managed to get out, before she left the classroom, managing not to stumble out.


	3. Dance on the Razor's Edge

"You have Quidditch in America?" Katie asked Cassia, as she braided her hair painstakingly into two plaits before the game that afternoon.

"Yes, we do," Cassia replied, smiling at the younger girl in the mirror. "We have a National Quidditch Team as well. A lot of people think that Quadpot is the superior game, but I'm inclined to think otherwise."

"Do you play?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. I like to fly for fun, though. I've been thinking of buying a broom, now that I'm here. My mother wouldn't get me one."

"Does your brother, Edgar, play?"

"He does. He's a Beater for Ilvermorny's team," Cassia confirmed, settling the last raven plait into its place. "Now, hold still," she said gently, pointing her wand at each of the braids in turn with a smile on her face. "Immobulus," she said, and the braids hovered for a moment before settling down Katie's shoulders. "There you are. Now, if we're suddenly caught up in some wind whilst in the Quidditch stands, your braids won't go everywhere."

Katie grinned, picking up her scarf as Cassia grabbed hers, along with Katie's hat and her own earmuffs, before they left the seven-year dorms and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast before the first Quidditch game of the season. "Fred and George were taking bets on the game last night," Katie said quietly, as Cassia shrunk down their scarves, her earmuffs, and Katie's hat as they moved to sit at the Gryffindor House table.

Cassia fixed the twins with a look from where they sat, further down the table, and they both grinned unabashedly at her, whereupon she rolled her eyes and turned back to Katie. "I'm quite sure that Charlie knows about it as well, but I can't say what his opinion would be," she said gently to the younger girl, helping herself to a cup of tea.

"Where is he?" Katie asked, looking around, before gathering up two slices of toast, which she put raspberry jam on.

"Likely training," Cassia replied, with a little shrug of her shoulders and she summoned some eggs, sausages, and breakfast potatoes onto her plate. "He told me when we were studying last night that he likes to get up an hour earlier on game day. The house-elves let him eat breakfast early, and then he scours the field to make sure everything's ship-shape. As Quidditch Captain, pre-game jitters are one thing, but pre-game pranks are another."

"You don't think anyone would sabotage the game, do you, Cassia?"

Cassia turned to Katie, who had meanwhile put some bacon, poached eggs, and some grilled tomatoes onto her plate. "I like to hope not," she replied, looking up at the professor's table. Her eyes immediately locked with Professor Snape's, who regarded her with a slight raise of his eyebrow, but didn't appear antagonistic. Cassia gave him a slight nod, to indicate that she was wishing him a good morning, before looking back at Katie. "No, Katie, I don't think so. Despite House rivalries, I don't think any of the professors would deliberately allow any of the students to be hurt. After all, it's only a friendly game, isn't it?"

. . .

Despite Cassia's assurances to Katie, it was an upset for much of Slytherin House, most notably Professor Snape, when the snitch was caught by Gryffindor's Seeker, and the Gryffindor team beat Slytherin 475 – 160. Cassia didn't want to think about how Professor Snape would act towards her or the fellow Gryffindor students, so she kept a low profile for the conceivable future, not wanting the potion's master to take offense to her.

It wasn't until the first of October, which was also Storm's birthday, that anything remarkable happened again within the school. Cassia had gotten used to the normal days, and it felt like she had brothers in Charlie, Fred, and George, and a little sister in Katie, which made her part of a little family in Gryffindor House. During dinner on the first night of October, however, it came as a surprise when Headmaster Dumbledore got to his feet and made his way over to the podium, calling for silence as he cast the Sonorus Charm, before he allowed himself to speak.

"Good evening, students," came the headmaster's booming voice, which he quickly turned down, once it became apparent that everyone would listen to him. "In order to strengthen the bond between all of you, the Heads of Houses, the other professors, and I have decided that the schools fifth years and above will partake in a masked ball to celebrate Halloween."

There were whispers throughout the hall, with fourth-years and younger complaining that they wouldn't be invited, while many males in the older selected group grimaced uncomfortably, and the girls, it seemed, were delighted.

"Now, now," said Headmaster Dumbledore, raising his hands upwards to call for silence, "you should all know that if a fifth-year or above invites you to the celebrations, you are more than welcome to attend. We've successfully managed to book the all-witch band, Spellbound, for the occasion, which will be held on Halloween night. The ball will end promptly at eleven, with instructions that curfew for those attending to be midnight. Classes will be in half-form the following day, and won't begin until after ten o'clock. If you need dress robes, Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley is already accepting appointments by owl or in person. I know that all of you will have a wonderful time at the event, and I am hopeful that you will all behave yourself, despite the excitement of the evening. Thank you."

. . .

"How are you finding the essay?" Charlie asked, attempting to peer at Cassia's parchment, to which she yanked it away.

"It's complicated, to say the least. I've a potion from my former potion's professor to temporarily render me able to write with my right hand for assignments like these. Otherwise, the ink would go upon the back of my hand and smudge the parchment."

Charlie nodded. "Sorry you have to deal with that."

Cassia shrugged. "That's all right." She hesitated for a moment. "Didn't you say earlier that you were going to practice?"

Charlie checked his watch. "Dammit!" he said, rolling up his parchment and putting it into his book bag as quickly as he could, and Cassia giggled softly. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go flying tonight after dinner."

Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Really? Are we allowed?"

"I've asked Madam Hooch, and Professor McGonagall. They trust us."

Cassia smiled. "All right, that sounds nice. When should I meet you, or should we just go directly after dinner?" she asked.

"You promised to help Katie with her charms homework for half an hour, so come after that, if it's all right."

Cassia laughed a little then as Charlie moved towards the portrait hole. "All right," she called after his retreating form.

Cassia managed to finish her transfiguration essay, and then began writing down the essay that Professor Snape wanted on the benefits and drawbacks of Veritaserum. She read its description within the textbook, plus did some independent research she'd gotten out of other books in the library on the subject, followed by her own interpretations, which included law and order both in and out of the Wizarding World. Once she finished, she realized it was nearly time for dinner, so she tidied up her quills and parchment, before taking the antidote potion for the first one she'd taken before starting her assignments and headed upstairs to put her things away. She changed into a pair of jeans and a chunky sweater, before brushing her hair again and re-applying her ponytail and heading back downstairs.

Cassia met Katie on the way down to dinner, who was just coming back from asking Professor Flitwick some questions about her charms homework. Cassia encouraged this, but told Katie that she would always be there for her if she needed help. In the great hall, Katie chose a delectable-looking cut of roast in honor of it being a Sunday, while Cassie opted for the roast chicken. As they mutually chewed on the offered Yorkshire puddings, they talked about the dance, with Cassia promising Katie that she would tell her all about the evening, since she was a first-year and barred from going, and it was unlikely that she'd get asked by anyone at all. Katie was relieved to be friends with Cassia in this regard, however, for she was very much looking forward to hearing about the dance.

"It's the Levitation Charm," Cassia said gently to Katie as they stared at her assignment as the Great Hall was becoming deserted. "Here. I know it's not a feather, but you can try it on anything, really. Try it on that spoon."

Katie nodded, her face determined as she retrieved her wand from inside her robes, and pointed it directly at the spoon. "Wingardium Leviosa," she whispered, and the spoon was suddenly levitating from the table, and up above Cassia's head.

"Amazing!" Cassia breathed. "Now, do you think you can take it down again? Just move your wand back towards the surface of the table."

Katie did just that, and the spoon returned to its proper place. "I've done it!" she cried, and Cassia returned her hug.

"There, now," she said, signing the witness line to confirm that Katie had, in fact, completed the assignment. "I'm due on the Quidditch Pitch. Charlie's going to take me flying."

Katie's eyebrows went up and down dramatically as she gathered her things, and Cassia playfully ruffled her hair as she got to her feet.

Cassia left the Great Hall and made her way outside and onto the school grounds; it was dark outside, due to it encroaching on winter, but Cassia took out her wand. "Lumos," she whispered, and the white beam of light went out in front of her, guiding her way towards the pitch in the darkness without twisting her ankle. She caught sight of Charlie, via the charm, as she approached, flying high on his Turbo XXX, and touched down immediately upon seeing her, a grin on his face.

"Look over there," Charlie said, pointing towards the stands, and, lying at the entrance of the changing rooms for the players, was an Air Wave Gold.

"That's beautiful," Cassia replied, having seen it in various magazines that Edgar would buy and scour over their various summer vacations.

"It's yours."

Cassia whipped around then, facing Charlie. "But, I..." She shook her head, knowing that, with nine mouths total to feed in the Weasley family, nothing came cheap, and the notion that they could've possibly... "Charlie, I..."

"Relax," he said with a laugh. "Madam Hooch and the rest of us took up a collection around school, after we found out how much you loved to fly. Although, it was surprising that an anonymous donor donated a couple hundred Galleons to the pot," he went on, confusion filling his face then. "We none of us knew who it was. There was a note, saying that they hoped you enjoyed the broom, but..." He shrugged.

"An anonymous donor?" Cassia asked, stepping closer to the broom, and taking ahold of its stick, as she brought it closer to Charlie. "Really?"

Charlie nodded. "We still don't know anything, I'm afraid."

Cassia smiled. "Well, I'll just have to make use of it, then." She put the broomstick between her legs then and kicked off from the ground, hard, and went zooming into the night air, a delighted scream coming out of her mouth as the cool air bit at her cheeks. "Oh, my god!" she cried out then, looking to her right to see Charlie hovering next to her. "This is amazing!"

"Care for a race around the grounds?" he asked.

Cassia grinned. "You're on!" She gripped the stick of the broom, waiting for the word 'Go!', and, when it was said, shot off like a cannon.

The pair of them were neck and neck throughout most of the race, and as they flew over the castle, caught a glimpse of the Astronomy Tower, which seemed to give Cassia pause for a moment, which caused Charlie to launch himself into the lead. Cassia wouldn't take that lying down, and the two of them flew over the Black Lake next, with Cassia somehow gaining leverage against her opponent as she zoomed downwards, skimming the water with her fingers for a moment, before launching herself upwards again, flipping herself over and holding on for dear life as she laughed, her hair coming out of its tie, and flowing freely down her back and shoulders, blowing in the wind as she gained a lead against Charlie, once the lake had disappeared behind them. Then, the witch landed gracefully on the Quidditch Pitch once more, with Charlie just behind her.

"You sure you just fly for fun?" Charlie asked.

Cassia laughed then, her hair tangled and long all around her head, and she found that she hadn't been this happy or carefree in a long time. "Yeah. Edgar was the athlete. The whole competition aspect was never for me. I like having fun."

Charlie stared at her then, and smiled. "How can you think you're not beautiful?"

Cassia flushed then, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "Oh, I don't know. It's not really something I pay attention to, or care about, really. Beauty, that is..."

"Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me?"

Cassia looked up then, meeting Charlie's eyes in the darkness, before fishing her wand out from her pocket, which had remained due to a silent Immobulus Charm, and shone it in his face, and her jaw dropped at the notion that he was completely serious. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean... If I'm being honest, you're an amazing friend, Cassia. And I... I always thought I was just into guys, but, I think I might have feelings for you."

Cassia blinked. "For me?"

Charlie nodded, stepping forward then, and taking her by the hand. He tilted her chin up with his free hand then, and pressed his lips to hers.

Cassia broke the kiss a few moments later, looked at Charlie for a moment, and then the pair of them started laughing. "Okay, that was not how it was meant to go..."

"No, it wasn't," Charlie agreed. "Guess we won't be doing that again."

"It was nice," Cassia assured him. "We're just not who the other is looking for. And I think it also has to do with the fact that you feel like a brother to me..."

Charlie groaned before laughing. "Why didn't you say something?!"

Cassia laughed again. "At the end of the day, it doesn't matter, because we'll always be friends who are like siblings." She stepped forward and hugged Charlie then. "I'll still go to the ball with you if you want me to."

Charlie pulled back. "Really? You will? After I just made an ass of myself?"

Cassia smiled, kissing Charlie on the cheek. "You didn't. I thought there may have been something, too. It's nobody's fault." She laughed again. "Although, it was the first time I've, I supposed, snogged someone."

Charlie guffawed at the sound of the British slang on her lips. "Sorry if I ended up ruining it for you, Cassia."

She shook her head. "Don't worry. You didn't. Besides, it's pretty pathetic if you think about it for a moment. I'm a person so wrapped up in books that she's never been kissed."

"You got kissed tonight."

Cassia laughed. "That's very true."

Charlie nodded. "Come on."

"Back to the castle, then?" Cassia asked.

"No, actually," Charlie replied as he carried Cassia's broom for her, and Cassia spelled her hair back into place. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, actually."

"As long as it's not a dragon..."

"No," Charlie assured her, "but he likes dragons."

Cassia smiled. "That's all right then."

They made their way out of the pitch and through the Hogwarts grounds, talking along the way as they passed by a tree, which Charlie declared to be the Whomping Willow, and told Cassia to stay away from the beast of a thing. They went down the hill then, and Cassia was touched when Charlie offered his arm to her in the darkness, as they made their way towards a small house at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There were lights from inside the windows, and Charlie stepped forward, knocking on the door, and stood back.

The door opened then, and a man who had to have been the size of a Christmas tree in the middle of the woods stood there. He had a round stomach, and bushy black hair and a beard to match. It took all but a moment for his dark eyes to twinkle as he smiled at the two of them, a big, meaty hand coming out to play. "So, yer mus' be th' girl Charlie's been goin' on abou'," he said in a gentle tone of voice, and clasped Cassia's hand. "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, not to mention the Gamekeeper. Call me Hagrid."

"It's so nice to meet you," Cassia said, and he smiled down at her. "I'm Cassia. I've seen you in the Great Hall."

"Great man, Dumbledore," the giant said, stepping back to allow them, and their broomsticks, inside his house. "Gave me th' job after I got meself expelled years ago. Oh," he said as a rather large dog stepped forward to inspect Cassia. "Tha's Fang. Shove 'im off if yer don' want 'im near ya."

"Absolutely not!" Cassia replied, falling to her knees then in front of the animal, and pressing kisses to his forehead. "You're just a sweet little puppy, aren't you? Yes, you are!" she said, and Fang's tail thumped happily on the floor behind her.

"I said she liked animals, Hagrid," Charlie said by way of explanation.

Cassia stepped away from Fang then, who followed her, and settled his head upon her lap as she moved onto one of the chairs that Hagrid indicated earlier. She yanked her sweater down past her wrists then, something that was not lost on either Charlie or Hagrid. The last thing she needed was to be labeled a freak in the Wizarding World, and the scars on the edge of her hands and upper wrists were clear evidence of it.

"What are you doing?"

It was Charlie's question that startled her, along with the lumpy and jagged-looking things that Hagrid placed upon the table in front of them. She startled in the massive chair, which caused Fang to whimper a bit, and Cassia rushed to calm him, scratching him behind his ear, and making sure he was all right. "It's nothing," she whispered to Charlie.

"Leave off, Charlie," said the giant, before turning to Cassia. "Me famous Rock Cakes!" Hagrid proclaimed with delight, before pouring them both giant mugs of tea.

"Not now, Hagrid," Charlie said, grabbing ahold of Cassia's wrists and yanking the sleeves of her sweater down without hesitation.

"Charlie!" Hagrid cried out then. "What're yah doin'?!"

Charlie, once he got a good look at Cassie's hands, dropped them on the surface of Hagrid's table in shock. "That's the Cruciatus Curse," he said, his voice heavy. "Those scars that Cassia's got there. Someone cursed her! Who cursed you?! Who did this?!" Charlie demanded, his eyes locking with Cassia's.

Cassia let out a shaky breath then, and pulled her knees inwards, towards her stomach, and covered her face with her hands. Tears blinded her vision which soon became dark, as she had hidden her face from her friends. The thoughts of the curse, its pain, and her screams filled her subconscious, and there was nothing she could do to stop them...

"_We shouldn't be living like this!" Cassia screamed then, levelling a gaze at her grandfather, and patriarch of the Romano family. "It's wrong! You're as bad as that wizard in England was, the one who killed people! Why would you think this was all right?!"_

"_I do it because it's right," __Giuseppe Romano replied, addressing his only granddaughter in a cold voice. He was sitting his throne, which he still kept in the formal drawing room at Romano Manor, their family home, which Cassia's uncle, Leonardo, was due to inherit one day. "It is also your right, Cassia, to eliminate those we Pure-Bloods deem to be unworthy of the Wizarding World around us."_

_Cassia shook her head. "I won't. I'm sorry, Grandpa, but I won't. It goes against my nature to commit such a foul act. I don't care if you deem it to be my birth right—there are plenty of people locked away in Azkaban for what you're doing, or ordering them to do. Why can't you see that it's wrong?"_

_Giuseppe sneered openly at her. "You're such a non-witch when you speak of it not being in your nature," he grumbled. "You should count yourself lucky that I loved your mother as much as I do, making it acceptable for her to marry a No-Maj."_

"_Don't bring Dad into this," Cassia growled. "He's been nothing but a good father, providing for us as much as he does, and abiding by the Statute of Secrecy—"_

"_As the representative for our family over here in America, there are certain rules that we must follow," Giuseppe said, carrying on as if Cassia had not spoken. "The men must find the best men to service the cause—of elimination of many Muggle-Born witches and wizards, which taint the world itself—while the women must find someone suitable to marry."_

"_Someone to marry? Are you kidding me?!" Cassia demanded, glaring at him. "I'm only sixteen-years-old, and in my fifth-year at Ilvermorny! I'm only here at all because it's Christmas and I'm obligated to come back for two weeks out of the entire year. I _don't_ want to be here," she told him, and Giuseppe's dark brown eyes widened slightly. "I also refuse to get married to a commander or whatever it is you want to call someone that you deem suitable for me. The _only_ time I will ever get married is if I'm so head-over-heels in love with someone that it's difficult to breathe without them in my life."_

"_Spoken like a true American teenager," Giuseppe said in an annoyed tone of voice. "You will bend to this, Cassia."_

"_No, I won't," she replied. "I've already begun my research for Auror Training. I want to work for the MACUSA for the Greater Good, and I don't need your permission."_

"_You will do as I say!" Giuseppe said, slamming his fist down onto the arm of the chair. "Your intended is Salvatore Alfonsi."_

"_He is close to fifty!" Cassia cried out._

"_No matter. As soon as you graduate from Ilvermorny, you and Salvatore shall marry, and your children will be brought into the family business."_

"_I absolutely refuse," Cassia said, her voice deathly calm._

"_I can make you—"_

"_My mind has been able to block the Imperius Curse, Grandpa, so unless you plan to torture me into submission..." She spread her hands. "Nothing you do shall work. My mind is made up. As soon as I can, I'm leaving America, if I have to."_

_Giuseppe's eyes flashed then, and his wand came into his hand—elm, fifteen inches, Rougarou Hair, unyielding—and pointed it directly at Cassia. "You refuse?"_

_Cassia nodded. "Yes," she said, no longer caring. "I refuse. Utterly."_

_Without hesitation, Giuseppe's teeth clench, and he bellowed, "Crucio!" so that the curse echoed throughout the room._

_Cassia fell to her knees then, tears blinding her vision. No matter how strong she was, she was not made of stone. The curse slashed for her hands, for without them, a witch or wizard was virtually powerless. Cassia let out a gasp then, and shook her head at the thought of never being able to hold her wand again... "Grandpa!" she cried out. "Stop!"_

"_Crucio!" he merely stated, and the blast intensified._

_Cassia felt her entire body trembling; she needed to stop him. She felt herself weakening then, but she knew that it couldn't end here. "No...please," she begged, but nothing she said was going to sway her grandfather, she saw that now, as the pain licked the surface of her skin, slashing it in a deadly motion. "STOP!" she screamed then, with the last of her strength, and the curse bounced off from her body, and blasted Giuseppe right in the chest, knocking both him and the throne chair over. Cassia struggled to her feet then, fear scorching through her, as the door to the room opened, and her mother stood there._

"_What have you done to him?!" she cried out, rushing forward._

"_He used Crucio on me," Cassia said quietly._

_Her mother fixed her with a look. "You probably upset him," she said with a little shrug of her shoulders, as she examined her father. "He'll live. I'll Obliviate him, and you," she said, glaring at her, "get to the Floo and home, now."_

_Cassia swallowed, somehow managing to stumble out of the room, cradling her hands, which felt as if they had been lacerated by a whip, close to her body, before managing to find the Floo, and got home as quickly as she could..._

"Cassia! Cassia!"

Cassia lifted her tear-stained face to Charlie, who was staring at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Charlie cried out then, reaching out and hugging her. "I didn't mean to! I swear, I didn't mean..."

"It was Crucio," Cassia whispered.

Charlie pulled back. "Who did it to you?"

"My grandfather," Cassia whispered.

. . .

Cassia and Samantha trekked to Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley the following Saturday. It was the talk of the school—well, among Gryffindor, mostly—that Charlie had brought Cassia out for a flying date, before asking her to accompany him to the ball. Samantha, Tonks, Katie, Fred, and George knew, of course, that the pair were merely going as friends, but Samantha was pleased that her best friend was going with someone. Samantha also knew about the conclusion about that night, and meeting Hagrid, and the memory that Cassia had gone back to.

"So, you told him? About your grandfather, I mean."

"Yes," Cassia said softly as they walked down the cobblestone street.

Samantha sighed, putting an arm around her shoulders as they walked. "I'm sorry. He had no right to demand information about your scars."

Cassia shrugged. "Still, I told him. He was very understanding."

"I'm glad he was," Samantha replied. "Your grandfather is a vile creature. Sorry, but it's true," she said to Cassia's shocked expression.

"No, you're right," Cassia said as they walked into the shop.

Madam Malkin made herself known immediately, and smiled at both girls. "Miss Serbus and Miss Willows?" she asked.

"That's us," Samantha confirmed.

"Wonderful," she said brightly. "Here for some dress robes for the ball?"

"We are," Cassia said with a smile.

"Well, come along, then," she said, beckoning them forward. "First, we'll figure out your size, then colors that you would look best in, and then a style for the evening. Sound all right to the two of you?"

Samantha ultimately selected a gown with a white silk base, which was complimented by some purple chiffon material over it. It was a boat neck, with an understated ribbon which would act as a sleeve, placed on the wearers left shoulder. It was adorned by little seed pearls at the waist, which moved downward as the skirts of the dress flared out, and a pair of purple heels completed the ensemble. Samantha splurged and bought some amethyst earrings and a necklace to match the dress, and her mask was the same purple color as the chiffon, although it was festooned an elegant feather.

Cassia's gown was a strapless green number, with a skirt that somehow managed to flare even further out that Samantha's. It would hug her chest and curves perfectly, and she found that the green mask with black lace was simply breathtaking, paired with green heels that Samantha insisted she buy, of course. She permitted herself to be pulled into the jewelry vender after Samantha, and selected a lovely emerald necklace and earrings for herself, knowing that, if this was truly to be a night to remember, she had to look the part.

The school was flush with gossip about the upcoming ball, and all Cassia wanted to do was focus on her assignments as it drew nearer. Professor Snape had gotten out of his rut since Slytherin's big loss against Gryffindor, and so she had more fun in potion's class. On the day of the ball, classes let out at three so that the hall could be made ready, and the older students went upstairs to get ready, while third and fourth years were permitted a Hogsmeade trip, and the first and second years were given extra studying time in the library.

"Hold still!" Samantha demanded as she zipped up the back of Cassia's dress. They had been permitted to ready themselves together by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, and Samantha was not about to allow her best friend to go dancing looking ragged. "Sit down," she ordered then, and gently pushed Cassia into the chair.

"We've polished my teeth, and gotten my gown on," Cassia said, rolling her eyes. "There's nothing left to do but put on my damned mask and meet Charlie."

"Not true," Samantha said with a grin, pulling out a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, which made Cassia's eyes pop. "Don't worry, there's plenty for all," she said, spelling Cassia's hair out of its typical ponytail, and casting a cleaning charm upon it. Next, she applied the potion painstakingly into her friend's hair, to the point where it settled in waves, all the way down her back, and Cassia gasped. "And now, for the grand finale," Samantha said, getting out her wand and pointing it at Cassia. "Exorna Speciem Eius," she proclaimed, and, quite suddenly, Cassia's eyes were highlighted with golden shadow, her lashes were darker and fuller, her cheeks were a lovely pink and tinted accordingly to emphasize her cheekbones, and an appealing red lipstick adorned her lips.

"Oh, my goodness," Cassia whispered, her eyes widening at her reflection.

"Like I always told you since we were kids," Samantha said, carefully tying Cassia's mask in place, "you're beautiful."

Cassia rolled her eyes and got to her feet, walking towards the door of the Gryffindor common room and smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," Samantha said, before Apparating back to the Ravenclaw dorm, where Alabaster was waiting for her.

Cassia sighed, gripping her skirts for a moment, thanking Merlin for the Anti-Wrinkle Charm that Madam Malkin had put on the gown, before she stepped out of the room and wandered down to the common room. "Charlie?" she said, standing at the base of the staircase, and Charlie turned around and faced her, his red and black dress robes impeccable, right down to the red mask with black lace.

"Godric," Charlie said, immediately stepping forward and immediately taking Cassia by the hand to help her down the rest of the way. "You look gorgeous."

Cassia smiled. "Thank you," she said, looking him up and down. "Nice dress robes."

"Got them new," Charlie said with a laugh. "Bill's were too tall for mine, and those tailoring spells can be a nightmare... Shall we?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I think so."

The pair of them walked out of the common room and down the grand staircase, noticing that other couples had already been granted access to the Great Hall. Upon stepping inside, they noticed the changes right away. Pumpkins, with candles inside them, hung from the ceilings, which were adorned with realistic-looking cobwebs. Spellbound was already playing their signature tune on the stage, _Witch_'_s Brew_, where the teacher's tables were. The tables had vanished, leaving way for a graveyard scene towards one side, and the dance floor appeared to be dirt, which was glued to the floor, so as to prevent tracking.

Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, as she took in the line of teachers standing on the opposite side of the Great Hall, where there was no graveyard piece. She swallowed then, taking in Professor Snape, who was in his typical robes, but his dark eyes shone from behind the black mask he wore. His eyes found hers almost immediately, and they bored into them, causing Cassia to gasp slightly then, and found that she bit her bottom lip at the look, which seemed to cause the potion's professor to stiffen slightly.

"Want to dance?" Charlie asked, placing a hand on her arm.

Cassia grinned, pretending that she hadn't been staring at their most-loathed professor, and nodded at him. "Of course."

Charlie never let go of her hand as they stepped onto the dancefloor, where plenty of other couples were, dancing to the fast-paced tune of _Witch_'_s Brew_.

_No matter where you hide_

_I will find you_

_Don't you forget that I cried_

_And you'll end up in my witch's brew_!

The electric guitar filled Cassia with tremendous excitement, and she and Charlie laughed as he quickly spun her around in time to the music. The very notion that they could live in a world where witches could have a rock band was still magical to Cassia, and she would never want to give up this world she had found. It was an improvement over her hardships in her home country, and she was hopeful that, now, she could at least attempt to put those hardships all behind her for good.

_You vanished with the dusk_

_You came at me with the dawn_

_Baby, I'm addicted to your musk_

_Especially when you make yourself begone_

After _Witch_'_s Brew_, Spellbound treated to the students to _Black Magic_, _Illusion_, and _A Perfect Spy_, Charlie pulled Cassia close, and she looked up at him.

"Want to get some air?!" he asked.

"Sure!" she said back, grabbing his hand, and they moved out of the Great Hall and outside the castle walls, standing on the grounds and drinking the night air. "Much better. It was getting way too hot," she said with a laugh.

"Have you thought about your birthday?" Charlie asked, and Cassia shrugged at him. "It's next month, isn't it? You'll be eighteen?"

Cassia nodded. "Yeah."

"What have you done for past birthdays?"

"I was always at school," Cassia said with a shrug. "Edgar always got Quidditch-themed parties, and got a massive cake and everything, usually in the shape of a Bludger."

Charlie cocked his head to one side. "And you?"

"Well, Samantha's busy with Alabaster a lot," she said with a shrug. "They've been a couple almost five years now. I mean, it's not like I'm the demanding sort. It never really mattered to me either way."

"Well, Mum'll make you a cake, no question," Charlie said with a smile.

Cassia blinked and looked up at him. "She will?"

"Yeah," Charlie assured her. "In fact, she's been writing with Hagrid for weeks. Professor McGonagall's given us permission to throw a party for you—a small one, of course. Do you know who you'd want? It's okay, right?"

Cassia smiled. "That'd be nice," she said. "Um, I suppose Samantha and Alabaster should be there, and it would be cruel not to invite Storm. And Katie, of course, can't leave her out, or Tonks, as she'd be upset," she said with a laugh, and Charlie agreed. "Perhaps, Percy, if he's all right with missing out on some study time, and the twins. Would it be all right if your younger siblings, Ron and Ginny, came? It would be rude to leave them out."

Charlie broke out in a grin. "I'll let Mum know. They'll be thrilled," he assured her. "Bill will send a card—he's a bit too busy, I'm afraid."

"He doesn't need to do anything," Cassia assured him. "It's all right. What about your dad? I mean, he's invited, of course..."

"He can spare a few hours from work, I'm sure," Charlie assured her. "So, that's it, then? Just a small party, with some food Mum makes, and our gifts?"

Cassia shook her head. "Really, Charlie, you don't have to..."

"Well, what gifts have you gotten over the years?"

Cassia bit her lips. "Other than the gifts the Willows bought for me?"

"Like, from _your_ family. The Romano's and the Serbus's."

Cassia swallowed. "Not much. They give me a generous allowance so that I don't come home and ruin something."

Charlie raised his eyebrows. "You're joking."

"No." Cassia shook her head. "I've never wanted for anything..." She rolled back onto the balls of her feel, considering it.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" Charlie asked with a smile. "You've figured out what you want for your birthday?"

Cassia gave him a little sideways smile at that; in many ways, Charlie had not only become her friend, but like a brother she didn't know she needed. She could truly talk to him about anything without it being weird, now that they'd established that there wasn't anything remotely romantic in between the two of them, and, for the first time, she felt confident enough to speak about what she really wanted, without facing judgement. "Perhaps I have," she said at last, and Charlie's smile quickly turned into a grin.

"Tell me," he said.

"It's a bit silly," she confessed.

Charlie held up his hands. "I won't judge."

"Very well, then," Cassia said, rolling her shoulders. "A familiar."

Charlie blinked. "A familiar?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, sorry for it being anti-climactic, but it's true. Edgar got an owl right before he left for Ilvermorny, when he was eleven. It's a black-banded beast of a thing, which he trained to attack me at a moment's notice, mainly by putting mice in my hair. Sometimes they were alive, and Astivarian—that's the beast's name—would scratch at my scalp, trying to get at them as quickly as possible... You ever hear a mouse scream?"

Charlie, by this time, had blanched at the image. "No."

"Don't try to imagine it," Cassia said with a shudder. "It's most unpleasant."

"So..." Charlie kicked a bit of dirt with his shoe. "You _wouldn_'_t_ want an owl, then, I take it?" he asked then, and Cassia laughed aloud.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"What, then? Surely not a toad!"

"While I've got nothing against them, no," she said, shaking her head. "It's a cat. Or a Kneazle hybrid of one, at the very least. I've seen them in Diagon Alley, and I never have time to go into the shop. I wish I could; they're beautiful creatures..."

"So, a cat of some kind, for your eighteenth birthday?"

Cassia grinned. "Pretty dumb, huh?"

Charlie shook his head. "No, of course not." He put an arm around her shoulders. "Want to head inside? I saw some Halloween biscuits."

"You don't have to ask me twice!" Cassia said with a laugh, and the pair of them hurried inside, as the fall air began to turn colder.


	4. Virgin Merry

Cassia rolled her eyes as Samantha tied the white silk ribbon around the green, tea-length dress, trimmed with white lace, that her best friend had selected for her birthday party. Cassia forced herself to put on the white stockings and step into the black Mary Jane shoes, and finally admitted to herself that she loved the outfit. She permitted Samantha to brush her hair and to put more hair potion into it, before attaching a white silk bow to the back of her head. Then she, Tonks, and Katie all followed Cassia down to the common room, where they were to leave and head out onto the grounds, where Hagrid's Hut was, for her birthday.

"I'm glad the headmaster's letting you celebrate properly," Tonks said with a grin on her face as they trooped through the portrait hole; she was dressed in an understated lilac dress, with her hair the same tint for the occasion.

"I'm surprised you invited me," Katie said softly, her pretty red dress hugging her figure. "I'm younger than virtually everyone there..."

"Charlie's youngest brother, Ron, and only sister, Ginny, will be there," Cassia reminded Katie with a smile as she tucked her hand in hers as they walked down the grand staircase. "I'm sure they'll speak to you. And, if they don't, you can stay by me the entire time."

"If anyone deserves this party, it's you," Samantha concluded.

They headed out and onto the grounds, walking towards the steep incline which led to the hut, and somehow managed not to tumble down it. Upon arrival, she could see Charlie clutching a check-list, with Mrs. Weasley—identified by her red curls—putting up a cream-colored banner which said, Happy Birthday, Cassia! in pink, sparkly, and loopy letters. Mr. Weasley stood off to the side, by the drinks and refreshments table, talking to Hagrid, while the twins were daring Ron and little Ginny to go into the Forbidden Forest.

"Lots of Acromantulas in there!" Fred declared.

"They'll spin you up—" George began.

"—and you'll never go free!" the twins told them.

"What are they?" Ron piped up.

"Spiders," Ginny told him, her voice impatient, as she crossed her arms.

"Spiders!" Ron squeaked, turning white. "I don't like spiders!"

"Really, you two?" Cassia said, stepping forward, and giving the twins a look, to the point where they looked completely ashamed. "Perhaps I should say that, because it's my birthday, you shouldn't torment your siblings."

"Cassia!" Ginny squealed, running toward and throwing her arms around her.

"Hello, Ginny," Cassia replied, putting her spare arm around her and patting her head. She had spoken to Mrs. Weasley and to Ginny via the Floo Network with Charlie a few times in between the Halloween Ball and the party, so she knew just how excited the nine-year-old was about being invited. "Ginny, this is my very dear friend Katie who I told you about. The two of you both love Quidditch," Cassia told her.

Ginny pulled back from Cassia and waved at Katie. "Shall we discuss it then?" she asked, her voice very serious.

Katie nodded. "Yes, would love to," she said, and the two girls wandered a bit away to get better-acquainted.

"And Ron," Cassia said, turning to him, and Ron looked a bit frightened, "I'll have you know that I don't like spiders either. So it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "Her, I like," he said, pointing to Cassia and addressing Charlie, who had come over, and put an arm around her shoulders. "You introducing her to Mum and Dad as your girlfriend then?"

George made a face. "We always thought your true love was dragons..."

"...and that you always..." Fred supplied.

"...wanted to live in Romania," the twins said.

Cassia laughed aloud. "Where did any of them get the idea that I was your girlfriend?" she wanted to know.

Charlie shook his head, his eyes narrowing at the twins. "Wasn't from me. Ron," he said, and turned to his youngest brother, "do you have any ideas?"

"Well..." Ron began.

"You made an Unbreakable Vow, little brother!" the twins warned him.

"Fred! George!" Mr. Weasley scolded upon hearing that phrase, and marched over to his sons, his dark eyes blazing in anger. "I told you that you were not to make your little brother make such a vow! It's Dark Magic!"

"Dad, we swear," Fred said.

"We were only—" George began.

"I don't want to hear it," Mr. Weasley said. "You are not to make those vows under any circumstances whatsoever. Understand?"

The twins sighed. "Yeah, Dad."

"Good," Mr. Weasley said, before turning to Cassia. "Ah, and you must be Cassia," he said, and put out his hand. "I can see why Charlie speaks so highly of you. When do you think that the two of you will make it official? The twins have told us for weeks that the two of you are a couple, so when will the wedding bells ring?" he asked, and, at that moment, Mrs. Weasley walked purposely over and swatted him on the arm.

"Arthur! We discussed this," she hissed at him, turning to look at Cassia. "Come along now, my dear. You can help me take the cake out of the oven," she said.

"Love to," Cassia said, smiling at them all. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley," she said, before getting out from under Charlie's arm and following the Weasley family matriarch.

"I... I mean, that was very wrong indeed boys, very wrong of you," Mr. Weasley said firmly to his twin sons, who looked amused, along with Ron.

"It's so nice to meet you without the fire being in the way," Mrs. Weasley said as they walked into Hagrid's Hut, and embraced Cassia before patting her cheek and letting go. "I know that you and Charlie are just friends. I can't thank you enough for being there for him."

Cassia smiled. "It's no trouble, Mrs. Weasley," Cassia assured her as Mrs. Weasley stood in Hagrid's kitchen, and frosted a beautiful cake in the shape of a cat. "Charlie was welcoming to me from the time I got here. If you show me kindness, then I'll show you kindness. That's just the kind of person I am. Plus, it didn't hurt that we're taking the same classes."

"How is Apparition going?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Very well, thank you," Cassia said, taking ahold of the extra flat knife that Mrs. Weasley offered to her, and spreading the white icing on top of the vanilla cake. "Charlie's a bit preoccupied with reading about dragons during the lessons, but I've told him that focus is key if you want to get it right."

Mrs. Weasley smiled indulgently. "I hear you're a reader as well?"

"Yes," Cassia said, artfully spreading the icing, which looked incredible.

"What subjects are your favorites?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Potions," she said without hesitation. "I also really enjoy Transfiguration as well."

Mrs. Weasley blinked. "Even with Severus as the professor?"

Cassia shrugged. "Well, if you know the material put in front of you, he is not too terrible a man, to be honest."

"You know the material already?"

"The Draught of Peace was the first potion we were instructed to brew," Cassia said quietly to Mrs. Weasley. "We learned that potion in fifth-year at Ilvermorny."

"Goodness, that's quite an oversight, isn't it?" Mrs. Weasley said, shaking her head with a smile on her face.

"I wanted to thank you," Cassia said after a moment of silence passed between them. "Not that I'm not grateful, but you didn't have to..."

Mrs. Weasley smiled, before stepping forward and placing her hands onto Cassia's shoulders. "I know, love. Charlie's mentioned that your family and you have never fully seen eye-to-eye. No, don't worry, he didn't go into details; he didn't have to. I knew the moment we first started talking through the Floo that this was a foreign thing for you. But I do want you to know that Arthur and I always have room for more than seven children. You can come to us whenever you need us, and we'll be here."

Cassia swallowed then, before rolling up the bell-shaped sleeves of her green dress, and showing Mrs. Weasley the scars on her hands and arms. "This is what tipped-off Charlie," she said, and Mrs. Weasley gasped then, gently taking Cassia's hands into hers.

"This... This is the Cruciatus Curse," she whispered.

Cassia nodded. "Yes."

"Who did this to you, dear?"

Cassia swallowed. "It was my grandfather. My mother's father. He's... Well, he's a Pure-Blood Supremacist."

Mrs. Weasley looked up at Cassia. "We were told that those didn't exist in America..."

Cassia sighed. "Believe me, they exist. My family is a rather large faction of them, to be honest with you. We're just not as vocal about it, until we really trust another person. My grandfather has so much money that he's literally able to keep himself out of trouble with it."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, before pulling Cassia back into her arms. "I'm so sorry, my dear, truly... When did he...?"

"I was sixteen," Cassia replied. "It was the last time I went home. It was my penultimate Christmas back in the States. He... He wanted me to get married to a Pure-Blood, who was in his fifties, as soon as I graduated from Ilvermorny. I left and kept my head down, and went to a friend's house for the summer. Then, the exchange program accepted me and I saw this as my chance to escape, and they couldn't stop me from leaving, as I was seventeen. Headmaster Dumbledore knows a bit about it, so much so that he's ensured that I won't ever have to go back there, if I don't want to..."

"It's abhorrent and disgusting," Mrs. Weasley said, her voice dripping with condemnation, "that he would do something like that to you." She continued holding Cassia to her for several minutes, before she finally let her go. "I'll always be here if you need to talk, dear, but now, we have a party to put on for you."

Cassia smiled. "Sounds wonderful, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly," she said then, and Cassia blinked. "You're eighteen, love, and very respectful. I see no reason why first-names are inappropriate here."

Cassia nodded. "Molly, then."

The two witches finished frosting the cake, and then Molly shooed Cassia out of the house to partake in some of the games that Charlie had planned. Their brooms had been taken out, and Charlie, Cassia, and the twins circled the grounds a few times, with Hagrid's booming voice providing commentary. After a quarter of an hour of this, Mr. Weasley's wand put out some red sparks, prompting the two teenagers and two adolescents to return back to the ground, where lunch was due to be served.

Cassia grinned at the sight of the leek and garlic soup, roast chicken and potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, pasty's, crumpets, little meat pies, cheddar cheese scones, and, finally, a Gruyere souffle. Hagrid said that he had made some Bath Buns, which also had a place at the table, and Charlie led Cassia to the head of it, as she was the guest of honor. Charlie conjured a makeshift crown onto Cassia's head, made from sticks and leaves, and it was actually quite a beautiful-looking piece.

Cassia accepted a glass of Firewhiskey, which everyone—save for the twins, Katie, Ron, and Ginny—was permitted to drink, as Fang set his head onto her lap, likely hoping that a piece of roast chicken would find its way into his mouth. Mr. Weasley carved the chicken as everyone else ate the soup first, but, quite soon, everyone was eating everything in sight at the table, especially Hagrid, who praised Molly Weasley's cooking to no end.

"All right, all right," Charlie said, getting to his feet when the vast majority of the party had calmed down in the feeding frenzy. "I'd like to say, first of all, Happy Birthday Cassia. You've become someone that I can rely on pretty much anytime, and I'm so pleased to call you my housemate. I apologize on behalf of Fred and George for referring to you as my girlfriend, because you and I both know that you're like my sister. I know I can come to you with anything, just like you can come to me with anything, and I hope that I've made your stay here at Hogwarts just a little bit better. Cassia!"

"Cassia!" the entire table said.

Tonks went next, followed by Samantha, Alabaster, Storm, the twins, Molly, Mr. Weasley, Hagrid, Katie, and even Ron and Ginny said a thing or two. Cassia smiled and thanked each one of them in turn after the speeches, and she could tell that she was flushed. She didn't know if it was from the Firewhiskey or all the positive attention, but she was not about to ask and make an idiot of herself in front of everyone.

"I'll go and fetch the cake now, then," Molly said, getting to her feet. "Charlie, why don't you summon Cassia's gifts."

"Gifts?" Cassia squeaked. "But you didn't have to..."

"Hush, dear," Molly said gently, pressing a kiss to Cassia's temple before making her way back into the hut to get the cake.

Once Molly returned, she began magically slicing the cake and urging Cassia to open up her gifts, which she did with gusto. Charlie had gotten her a personal broom maintenance kit; Tonks had gotten her a book on _Metamorphmagi; Samantha and Alabaster had gotten her a subscription to __Potions Quarterly__; the twins had considerately gotten her the latest-issues of pranks from the joke shop; Ron and Ginny had pooled their money and had gotten her the latest Gryffindor scarf which was sold at Madam Malkin's; Katie had gotten her __The Book of__Charms and Spells__, which Professor Flitwick had annotated himself on her behalf for Cassia; Bill, who couldn't make it due to his job at Gringotts, nevertheless bought Cassia a copy of __A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick, and Surgery__; Percy, who was too busy studying to come to the party, had gotten her the book __Where There's a Wand, There's a Way__; Storm had gotten her the book __Transfiguration Through the Ages__; and, at long last, the final gift was from Mrs. Weasley._

_"Go ahead, dear," she said, once she'd finished the cake._

_Cassia smiled up at her, and pulled the ribbon on the gift. She gasped aloud then, revealing a silver sweater, complete with a hood, which was trimmed with gray fur, with a beautiful golden 'C' upon it. "This is absolutely beautiful!" she cried out._

_"It has everlasting warming charms," Mrs. Weasley said with a proud smile. "Minerva informed me that you have an allergy to wool, you seen, so this is cotton, made to look like wool, hence the warming charms... Oh!" she said, as Cassia had dropped the sweater and gotten to her feet, and threw her arms around her._

_"Thank you, so much, Molly," she whispered to her._

"Of course, dear," Molly said, hugging her back, and stiffened slightly. "Charlie, when I said get Cassia's gifts, I meant _all_ of them."

"I did, Mum, I—" Charlie cut himself off then, and Cassia let go of Mrs. Weasley, following his eyes to where the gifts had been, where a rather large wrapped box was sitting by itself. "I swear to you, Mum, I picked up all the gifts," Charlie went on, as Molly began playfully scolding him as Cassia wandered over to the box.

Cassia hesitated, especially when she heard a scuffling coming from inside of it. She took ahold of the green ribbon, and tore at the black paper, and little squeaking sounds came from inside the cage which now stood before her. "Hey, it's all right," Cassia said quickly, unlatching the cage and removing the small bundle of fur from inside it. "Hello, there. Aren't you a beautiful little thing?" she cooed at it.

"What is it?" Charlie asked, stepping forward. "Oh! That's lovely. It's a Kneazle," he explained to everyone behind him. "Well, a hybrid anyway."

"It seems to be a combination of a Siamese cat and a Kneazle," Cassia put in, pressing her lips gently to the creature's forehead.

_You've finally found me_, said the little thing, gazing up at Cassia with its radiating blue eyes and kind features. _My name is Amara_, _and you are my mistress now_.

Cassia pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Hi, Amara..."

"Amara?" Ron demanded, stepping forward. "What does that even—?! Hey!" he said as Ginny almost immediately elbowed him in the ribs.

"It means 'beloved', Ron," Cassia said. "Kneazles are known to communicate with their owners, and sometimes, if you're lucky, they tell you their name."

"Who gave it to you?" Charlie asked.

Cassia let out a chuckle as Amara snuggled closer.

_The wizard wouldn_'_t tell me his name_, _mistress_, _but he has left a note_, she informed her. _Just tucked into the ribbon, atop my cage_.

Cassia held out her hand, beckoning the envelope towards her, and it flew into her hands, which Molly and Mr. Weasley staring at each other in amazement at Cassia's magic. She opened the envelope carefully, and gazed at the script.

_I heard that you wanted a Kneazle or a cat as a feline companion for your birthday. After a lengthy search, I found Amara. I hope she is worthy of your companionship._

_Signed,_

_A friend_

"No name," Cassia said, handing over the letter to Charlie, who immediately proceeded to inspect the bit of parchment. "Recognize the handwriting?"

"No," Charlie said, handing it over to Molly.

Molly clicked her tongue. "Although simple, there's a transfiguration spell on here," she said quietly, and shook her head. "Although the conjuration is a simple one, I'm afraid it is an irreversible process."

"Looks to me as if the person who gave you Amara doesn't want to be found," Arthur put in as Molly handed Cassia back the letter.

Cassia smiled, giggling slightly as Amara burrowed closer into her arms. "Well, perhaps I'm not meant to find out," she said with a shrug. "Doesn't mean I'm going to give up without even trying to do so first, however."

. . .

Cassia said goodbye to Samantha and Alabaster a week and a half before Christmas, as they had returned to the United States. Storm had returned as well, to his home state of North Dakota; since there was the time difference to be taken into consideration, each member of the I.S.E.P., who had elected to return home, had been given special international portkeys, which would enable them to return to Hogwarts just a few hours before curfew, the day before their holiday break was due to end.

Cassia thanked Charlie profusely for inviting her home with him to the Burrow, in Ottery St. Catchpole for the holidays, but she declined. She hadn't had the opportunity to read all of the books she'd received for her birthday yet, and wanted some time solo with Amara as well. It pleased her that Mrs. Weasley had understood, and, on Christmas morning when she woke up, she was surprised to see a note from her, letting her know that there were gifts from the family beneath the tree in the common room.

Nobody else in Gryffindor had remained at Hogwarts for the holidays, which suited Cassia just fine, as she had the entire area to herself. She fetched her hooded sweater from Mrs. Weasley, and gathered Amara in her arms before they went downstairs together. She was pleased to see that there was some cat nip, treats especially prepared by Mrs. Weasley, and a generously-sized ball of yarn for Amara, who promptly launched herself out of Cassia's arms to attack the pink woolen thing. Cassia chuckled indulgently, and unwrapped all the gifts, and was surprised to see that there were even some from the Willows family, telling her how much they missed her, but the traditional pair of flannel pajamas—these were green and silver—were awaiting her beneath the beast of a tree.

Several books later—which Cassia shrunk in order to accommodate them and Amara, along with her gifts—Cassia put the wrappings onto the fire and the cards full of good wishes into her pockets before heading back upstairs. She set Amara on her four-poster bed, who was content with her new gifts—which too included a collar, which Cassia had presented her with the night before, which was green and boasted diamonds around it, as well as a little pendant with declared her to be named Amara, and owned by her—before Cassia wandered into the bathroom to take a shower before heading down to lunch, as she had slept far too late for breakfast.

She wore a red dress that day, coupling it with her Weasley sweater again, and said goodbye to Amara before heading downstairs. The house-elves were always made aware if a student had a familiar, and would be along shortly to feed her. Once Cassia arrived in the great hall, her copy of _A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Psysick, and Surgery_ tucked beneath her arm, which she intended to look though over lunch. She sat at the Gryffindor House table and tucked into her lunch of a light chicken Caesar salad, thankful that the house-elves had had the consideration to keep it light in preparation for the Christmas feast later.

As she sat there, reading her book and casually chewing her salad, she was suddenly aware of slow footsteps behind her. Turning around, she smiled almost immediately up at the person who had stopped walking. "Happy Christmas, Professor Snape."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I was told that you say, 'Merry Christmas' in America, Miss Serbus," he drawled. "Have you become English?"

Cassia shrugged, and kept on smiling up at him. "Perhaps your traditions are rubbing off on me, sir, which is far beyond my control."

"What are you reading?"

Cassia showed him the spine of the tome. "This."

"It is required reading for fourth-years," he informed her, a slight sneer on his lips. "I would have thought you coveted things that were more advanced."

"This is advanced, to me, at least, because it is unfamiliar to me," Cassia explained. "It's not required reading at Ilvermorny."

He inclined his head slightly at that, before catching a glimpse of the tome she was reading. "I see that you never stop yourself from reading."

"It's not something you can simply stop, sir. As a child, books were the only companions I had before I began my studies at Ilvermorny."

He raised his eyebrows at that. "What about Miss Willows?"

"Samantha is from New York," Cassia explained patiently. "We didn't meet one another until we were sorted into Thunderbird House, when we were eleven."

"Your mother is a witch?"

Cassia sighed. "She is."

"Didn't she adore having a daughter? You were the next daughter born into her line of the family, weren't you?"

Cassia swallowed. "I was, but we... We weren't particularly close, unfortunately. She was far closer to Edgar, my younger brother."

"What does Edgar find to be fascinating?"

"Quidditch," Cassia replied with a nonchalant shrug, and the professor noted some sadness in her tone and body language. "He usually did that or spent time with Mom."

"What about your father?"

"He's a No-Maj," Cassia told him. "He spent time at work, or with his sons from his previous marriage, Noah and Liam. He's training them to head the company—it's a lumber business—upon his retirement, so they're always networking somewhere."

"Did he ever make you feel negatively about your magic?"

"Lord, no," Cassia said, shaking her head. "It fascinates him, to be perfectly honest with you. He asked me questions whenever he could, and always loved it when I could turn into my Animagus form in front of him..." She hesitated for a moment, forgetting where she was, a far-off look in those beautiful eyes of hers.

"But... He is busy?"

"Yes. My mother...has expensive tastes, given that she grew up with so much privilege," Cassia informed the potions master.

"Why didn't you go home to the Willows' house in New York?"

Cassia shook her head. "America is not for me. I don't think I'll ever leave Europe."

"Well, what about the Weasley home, at the Burrow?"

"I was invited," Cassia admitted, setting down her fork, now that she was finished, and the bowl and everything disappeared, leaving her book behind.

"Well, why didn't you go?" the professor pressed.

"Well, because I didn't feel like it," Cassia told him, her brows knitting together at the questions he was posing to her. "I got a lot of books for my birthday and for Christmas, and I thought that this would be a good opportunity to finish them."

"Had a falling out with your boyfriend, then?"

Cassia's jaw dropped then. "My boyfriend?"

"Yes. Young Mr. Weasley—Charles."

Cassia scoffed, getting to her feet and pulling her book after her. "Charlie?" she asked, tossing the name over her shoulder as she walked away. "Really..."

"Well, you attended the Halloween Ball with him," Professor Snape said, going after Cassia as she walked out of the Great Hall. "One could only assume that, after he kissed you like that on the Quidditch Pitch, that the two of you are an item."

Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, and she spun around, startling her professor, as she stared up at him in shock. "You were spying on us?"

"I frequently walk the grounds at night," he replied, with a slight shrug to his shoulders. "I cannot help it if I saw the two of you when I did."

Cassia sighed, looking up at the high ceiling of the castle before lowering her eyes. "Charlie has not been, nor will he ever be, my boyfriend."

He blinked. "He's not?"

"No," Cassia said, shaking her head. "I... I'd never kissed anyone before, so I didn't really recognize the signs, to be honest with you. And then when it happened, the two of us realized that he sees me as a sister, and I see him as a brother. We went to the ball as _friends_," the young witch said firmly. "And, in case you hadn't noticed, even though I was his date, I couldn't take my eyes off of _you_ that night!"

He gritted his teeth slightly then. "I see. Well, one could easily assume that he was your boyfriend, Miss Serbus, given that you discussed your birthday with him..."

"How did you know that we...?" Cassia let out a gasp then, and shook her head. "It was you, wasn't it? You were the wizard who got Amara for me?"

Professor Snape sighed. "Yes."

"Thank you," Cassia said, and stepped forward, reaching out to touch him, but he pulled away before she could do so. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

He stared at her for another moment then, his eyes locking with hers for a handful of breathless moments, before he turned away in a sea of black, and didn't stop.

"Professor!" she cried out then, and darted after him, watching as he made his way down to the dungeons. She didn't stop running, all the way down into the coldest and darkest part of the castle, until he slipped into his classroom. Cassia, thinking fast, threw her book down, which caught in the space of the partially-open door, and darted inside, getting her book and straightening up then, as the door closed behind her. "Why did you leave?" she asked, her voice small in the classroom, which seemed larger, now that they were alone inside it. "Why did you just walk away during our conversation?"

"Because you were encroaching on inappropriate territory, Miss Serbus."

"Inappropriate—? Look at me!" she cried out then, reaching out and gently pulling him by the shoulder, so that he was facing her. "Please. I don't understand..."

"You are much more physical in America," he replied. "It is only natural for you to emulate past habits in a new country. I only sought to correct you."

"Correct me?" she demanded. "For doing what? What did I do?"

"You attempted to touch me, and did so, just now," he told her, his tone steady.

Cassia shrugged. "So?"

"I am your professor," he said plainly. "Professors and students must never touch one another in a physical sense, unless it is an emergency."

"That is ridiculous!" Cassia cried out. "A shoulder is not the same as a cock or a breast! Why is such a thing considered inappropriate?"

The potions master was visibly shocked at the young witch's coarseness of language; to be honest, he liked hearing the words n her lips, but he knew how ill-advised this all was. "It doesn't matter, Miss Serbus. The point is, it is inappropriate."

Cassia swallowed. "Well, I don't think that's acceptable."

"It would be preferable, in the future, for the two of us to be at arms'-length, and then some," he said, cutting across her. "We've entertained these fantasies for long enough, Miss Serbus, and nothing you do or say will change my mind."

"Fantasies can be made a reality..."

"No, Miss Serbus. That is out of the question."

Cassia stood before the potions professor, and vowed not to make herself turn into a completely fearful witch. "Look, I don't understand why you feel the need to act this way," she said, as her eyes met the never-ending black pools of Professor Snape's.

"You've come here to thank me for gifting you with your feline companion. You're welcome for gifting her to you. Now that you have done so, and I have accepted your token of thanks, may I suggest that you leave, Miss Serbus?" the professor growled.

"You may suggest, but I most certainly will not," Cassia replied, setting down her book on one of the tables as her nails bit onto the exposed flesh of her palms. "I'm eighteen, of age in the Wizarding and Muggle World, and I will not stand here and be told what to do like a child. And, since we are in the middle of the holidays, you are not my professor."

"That may be so, but this is still my classroom."

"I don't care where we are—we could be on the fucking North Pole, watching Santa ordering his elves about... Is that where you wizards get your inspiration for house-elves? Is it from Old St. Nick himself?"

Severus's lip curled slightly then; so, Cassia truly had a mouth on her, then? Must come from the territory of being raised alongside three brothers, although, he couldn't deny that it was sexier than anything... "You can't mean that they don't have house-elves in America..."

"My mother's parents do, and her older brother," she said, her tone bitter, turning away from him and staring at his bookshelf, obviously trying to keep her voice from shaking. "I would get threatened with punishments as a child if I was kind to them. It was worth it," she said, a little shrug of her shoulders, a bitter laugh escaping from her lips.

"Punishment?" It did not escape the potion professor's mind that some old wizarding families preferred older methods of discipline when it came to their children; he had just hoped that the United States of America had overgrown them. "They... Did they beat you?"

Cassia looked over her shoulder slightly then, the sadness evident in her eyes as she nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders. "Of course, and not just for my kindness towards the elves," she said, her voice quiet. "I was labeled as a Squib by my mother from the time I could talk, all because I didn't showcase my accidental magic for all to see, like my cousins and brother did, at every opportunity they could." She swallowed then. "I was the only girl and, as such, was deemed a failure by the family, because of my No-Maj father, a blemish on the Pure-Blood status of the Romano family, even though I did not carry the name, I, unfortunately, in their eyes, at least, carried his blood."

Severus's mouth set then; he couldn't imagine Cassia in pain. "How would they...?"

Cassia's eyes locked with Severus's then, her lips parting slightly then, the shock radiating throughout her expression. "What?" she whispered.

"You mentioned that you were punished. Was it by their hands, or their wands?"

Cassia swallowed then. "In every way they could possibly think of," she whispered, and slowly removed her outer robes, and when Severus moved to protest, Cassia minutely held up a hand, and she continued doing so. Next, she turned around and rolled up the right sleeve of her shirt, past the elbow, and exposed the marks upon her pale skin, which appeared to be inflicted with a fireplace poker. "That was for not displaying any accidental magic when they deemed it time. I was five," she replied, turning around, and managing to lower the collar of her shirt, where there appeared to be scratch marks. "That's when the family Crup was enchanted to attack me, for me being kind to the house-elves."

"How old were you during the attack?"

"That time? Seven or eight," she said with a shrug.

"What else did they do to...?" Severus cut himself off then as Cassia showcased her hands to him, and he stiffened visibly, knowing firsthand what it felt like to be inflicted by the Cruciatus Curse. "Who...?"

"My grandfather. I wouldn't consent with an engagement to a Pure-Blood who was encroaching on the age of fifty. The curse backfired, though. Grandpa can't walk anymore..."

"And, you are sorry for him?" Severus demanded.

Cassia raised her eyes to his. "It's in my nature. I cannot help it. He is my final surviving grandparent. It's... It's masochistic, I know, but it's unavoidable."

"Are there more?" Severus asked, finding that he was struggling to communicate, due to someone making someone as pure of heart as Cassia suffering.

Cassia sighed before turning around and straightening her shirt. "There were. Samantha's family... Mr. and Mrs. Willows, they were able to take care of them for me, being Pure-Bloods and all. Thankfully, it wasn't anything they couldn't handle," she said, her voice quiet, as she picked up her robe, but made no move to put it on again.

"You haven't had it easy," Severus said softly.

Cassia shrugged. "No, I suppose I haven't... I'd like to meet those handful of witches and wizards who have, and demand to know what made them so special."

"You're a very powerful witch," Severus assured her.

Cassia sighed. "Well, I know that if a child is treated so badly up to a point, that their magic can turn in on themselves," she said, swallowing, as she recalled the images that had gone through her head about Headmaster Dumbledore's sister, Ariana.

"You seem to know a lot about many subjects."

Cassia smiled slightly then. "That's what happens when you're an outcast from within your family," she said simply. "You learn to read, and your books become your companions, to the point where you have a plethora of information that you don't know what to do with, as you have no one to share it with."

"I know how that feels," Severus told her, and, in a rare moment of kindness, reached out and placed his hand upon Cassia's shoulder.

"What...?" Cassia's mind was suddenly flooded with tons of images.

Severus taking the Dark Mark as a young teenager, followed by handfuls upon handfuls of Death Eater meetings over the years. His school years, him wearing second-hand Slytherin robes, and a group of Gryffindor students—judging by their robes—attacking him, the ringleader holding him aloft via a Levitation Spell, before Severus's pants were charmed off for all to see. Severus yelling at a beautiful girl with long, red hair, declaring that she was a Mudblood. Then, the redhead and the ringleader marrying—it was an article in _The Daily Profit_, which caused the younger Severus to crumple up the newspaper in a rage. Then, Severus begging Dumbledore to "hide her, hide them all", and making a promise to Dumbledore, followed by Severus stumbling into a derelict house, whereupon the dead bodies of the ringleader, and the beautiful redheaded woman lay in various points of the house, dead. A small baby cried, as did Severus, as the latter lifted up the woman's body, and sobbed and sobbed... There were more memories, plenty more, but they all went by so fast that they were very nearly muddled together, although Cassia was able to decipher some of them.

Cassia yanked herself back from her professor then, staring at him in shock, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped. "Oh..." She whispered, her hands covering her lips. "Oh, my..."

"What? What is it?"

"Lily," Cassia whispered then, and something in Severus's eyes flashed as he stared at her. "You loved her. Lily."

Severus stared at Cassia then, almost as if he was looking at her for the first time. "What are you talking about?!" he demanded then, grabbing her by the arms and glaring down at her. "What are you saying?!"

"Please... You're hurting me," Cassia managed to get out, and he let her go with such force that she collided with the bookcase behind her.

"How can you possibly know...?!"

A lump formed in Cassia's throat then, as her backside smarted from the impact it had felt upon landing against the shelf. "It's is my birthright," Cassia said then, her voice trembling as she looked up at Severus, through a viel of tears that refused to fall. "I can't always help it. I've had it since my magic manifested as a young girl, but I'm still learning, and I've had to teach myself everything via diaries from the former holders, for all the past holders are dead."

"Holders of what?"

"The Sight," Cassia said quietly, and Severus's eyes widened. "I'm a Seer. I can see mostly into people's pasts, but, on a rare occasion, I can see future events."

Severus narrowed his eyes at her. "I did not give you permission to—"

"No, you didn't!" Cassia said, talking over him. "I never enter into it willingly, unless I have the express permission of others."

"You can't possibly mean that you committed this act inadvertently..."

"I am not a perfect witch, and I've never pretended to be one," Cassia said, staring at him. "I can't help this gift. Sometimes, I think it is a curse."

"You're cursed," Severus growled, narrowing his eyes at her. "How do I know you won't run to the Ministry of Magic, informing them that I am a double agent?"

Cassia swallowed. "I wouldn't want to gain anything from a malicious act on a man who clearly has been broken," she replied.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I am hardly broken."

"We are all broken," Cassia whispered to him, her voice trembling.

The potions professor stared at her for a moment, the heat and intensity that each of their gazes held was difficult to ignore, before he turned and walked away from her. "I think you know your way out."

"I just wanted to understand you better!" Cassia burst out then, rushing forward and taking his hand, somehow able to keep her walls up, thus preventing herself from looking into Severus's past, present, or future again. "That's all—I promise!"

"Understand me?" Severus demanded, attempting to shake off her grip. "I am your potions professor, Miss Serbus. What else is there to possibly understand about me?"

"Everything."

Severus turned around and faced her then, his eyes holding hers. "You are not the only one who can look into a witch or wizards' mind, Miss Serbus. I can see you quite clearly, and I can tell you immediately that your thoughts are ill-advised."

Cassia stepped closer. "How so?"

"I am your professor. I am over a decade older than you. I am ugly..."

"No, don't say that, please," Cassia begged, cutting across him then, and clutching ahold of his face. "The moment I saw you when the four of us arrived here, I couldn't take my eyes off you. I thought I'd never seen such a beautiful man."

Severus sighed, shaking his head as he pulled away. "Americans always believe that flattery will get them anywhere, but when it is a lie..."

"I'm _not_ lying!" Cassia shouted then. "You claim to read minds, so look into mine, Severus," she went on, and his eyebrows raised at her addressing him by his first name. "Do it. I won't block you, and every wall will be down for you. Just... Look."

Severus hesitated for a moment, but the earnestness in her expression never wavered, so he pressed his wand to her temple then, and Cassia shut her eyes, allowing Severus to see every thought that had come up in her mind about him. About how beautiful, how challenging, how intelligent he was; about how she knew that he was hiding something, as no man would ever willingly act the way he did towards children who did nothing to him. He could feel her lust and attraction with every thought, and it gave him pause, a lump developing in his throat as he removed his want from her forehead, and stood back. "It seems that I was mistaken, Miss Serbus, about your...feelings."

"I have plenty of them, Severus, for you," Cassia told him, every ounce of passion in her voice, as she launched herself forward, catching Severus's face in her hands again, and kissing him. She felt a moan escaping her lips then as Severus forced her lips open, his tongue following just behind, and slammed her up against the wall behind her. She let out a gasp then as his nose nudged her chin up, and his lips caressed her neck, and she fumbled with the buttons of his robes as he permitted himself to attempt to remove her pants—

"Cassia..." He groaned, only coming to his senses when she whispered his name back to him, and he sighed, shaking his head. "Miss Serbus, do contain yourself," he said, stepping away from her. "Please...go."

"Severus?"

"You're quite welcome for your feline companion," he said, straightening his robes without looking at her. "Amara is a beautiful name. Now, as it is close to curfew, I suggest you make your way back to your common room."

"But, Severus..."

"Now."

Cassia very nearly gasped at the coldness of his tone but, not one to be told twice, merely shook her head at him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, hating herself for allowing her voice to break at the end, before she turned on her heel and left the potions classroom, permitting the door to slam violently behind her.

. . .

A lump entered Cassia's throat when, six days after her altercation with Severus—he would never be Professor Snape again—that an owl tapped on the seventh-year dormitory window. She crossed over and opened it, the chilly winter air blasting onto her cheeks, as she took the letter, and stroked the owl, who hooted in response, and immediately returned to the owlery. She gazed briefly at the snow-covered grounds, before shutting the window and opening the letter as quickly as she dared.

_If you promise to behave yourself, you've left your book in the potions classroom. Come and fetch it at your earliest convenience._

It was not signed, but Cassia knew full well who it was. It was after dinner, but curfew was haywire during holidays, so she left a sleeping Amara on her bed, and slipped out of the dormitory and the common room. Making her way towards the staircase, she quickly headed down to the dungeons, not meeting anyone on her way, and tapped on the brown wooden door of the classroom.

"Enter."

She opened it effortlessly, and spotted her book on the table closest to the door.

"Fetch your book, and then leave."

Cassia gritted her teeth then. She walked towards the book then, and moved to grab it, but stopped herself then. Her cheeks were flushed as she spun around and slammed the door, before she marched over to the desk and leaned upon it. "Talk to me."

Severus raised her eyes to meet hers, and swallowed visibly. "What would you like me to say to you, Miss Serbus?"

"It's Cassia," she said then, her voice trembling. "My name is Cassia."

Severus sighed. "Yes, I'm aware." He turned back to the paper he was scribbling on.

"Stop."

He raised his eyes back to hers again. "Why should I—? What do you think you're—?!"

"Stop," she ordered again, circling the desk and grabbing ahold of his forearm. "Hold still," she whispered to him then, before she rolled up his sleeve, the Dark Mark staring back at her, faded, due to the Dark Lord's presumed demise.

"This is what I am," Severus told her then, and she locked her eyes with his. "That is why you shouldn't get mixed up with me."

"It is already too late for that," Cassia told him, determination in her voice as she covered the mark with the palm of her hand. "And it is not who you are."

"Covering it up won't make it go away..."

"Shush!" Cassia ordered. She gripped at his forearm then, shutting her eyes, and saw Severus's initiation into the Dark Lord's minions. She saw other things, too, and felt her eyes filling with tears at the notion that this beautiful man had been so hurt, a thousand times over, in his life. She couldn't live with herself because she... She felt her magic thrumming through her, all the way from her heart, not caring how long this would take, not for a moment, as it finally came though to her fingertips. She felt a gasp easing through her lips then, as she imagined the bare flesh of the man's arm, and a heat passed through them both, to the point where Severus finally managed to break away from her, and she fell to her knees.

"What did you...?!"

"What?" Cassia whispered, her eyes fluttering open. She turned over her hand then, that she had used to grip the mark, and there was a red burn there. "I..." She looked up at Severus then, who no longer had the mark. "Oh...oh, my..."

Quickly, Severus pulled Cassia up by her arms, staring into her eyes. "That was a non-verbal spell, Cassia. A non-verbal sacrificial spell..."

Cassia sighed. "I suppose it was."

"What did you do?!" he whispered to her. "What did you give up to...?!"

"I didn't give up anything," she whispered back at him, never taking her eyes off his. "I didn't have to give anything up. What I had to give was already yours."

"What are you...?"

"My love," she said, her voice shaking slightly then. "I know you'll never love me in the way I love you, but it doesn't matter. You didn't deserve to go about wearing that mark, since you're Dumbledore's man, not his. You are on the side of the Light, no matter how you treat people. I know you're hurting, because of your past, and I am so sorry that you were hurt. But I know what it is like to be hurt by those you trust. You needed to be loved; I know you're capable of it, but having someone lavish it onto you is a foreign this. I was happy to do this for you, Severus. I don't mind giving to you what has always been yours."

"Always been mine? What...?"

"I saw black smoke in my future before I came here," Cassia replied. "The more I looked, I thought it was clouds, covering the peaceful horizon of the life I wanted. And yet, more and more as I gaze at it, I came to realize that I was seeing your robes."

"My robes?"

"Yes. You were always in my future, Severus. That's the reason why I was accepted into the I.S.E.P; it was so I could meet you. It was always supposed to happen; all of this... Me falling in love with you."

Severus stared down at the beautiful creature in his arms, hardly knowing what he was hearing. It was an automatic gesture, then, to kiss her passionately, faithfully, knowing that he could no longer deny the attraction which coursed through his veins from the moment he'd first laid eyes upon her. Her innocent beauty... The notion that he was going to corrupt it on a moment's notice did nothing for him; in fact, the heat and the hunger which Cassia Serbus exhibited then, by gripping ahold of his buttons and yanking them apart, was intoxicating.

"Now, please now," she whimpered as she rubbed herself up against him like a cat in heat. "I want you now... Take me to your bed, Severus. I'm yours..."

Severus pulled Cassia's legs around his torso then, and stiffened against her as her fingertips traced patterns on the bare skin of his chest. He somehow managed to open the inner door of his classroom, taking her through his sitting room, and, finally to his bedroom. He set her down on the edge of the bed, and caught her hands for a moment. "Are you sure?"

Cassia wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered to him. "I want you. Take me, Severus. Make me yours."

Severus couldn't calm himself down any longer; it didn't matter that he was her professor, and she his student, not to mention the notion that he was over a decade older than she was. As he carefully unbuttoned her shirt, he pushed it over her shoulders and allowed it to fall. Her bra was still clasped around her, and she unhooked it, tossing it at her feet, and Severus gasped aloud at the sight of her beautiful breasts, which he cupped and teased, in particular the nipples, which caused Cassia's toes to curl, and she arched into him, his hardness bumping into her knee. He then got off her jeans and she crawled backwards onto the bed, discarding those panties of hers as Severus continued to undress, before crawling towards her himself.

"Are you...?"

"I'm ready, I... I know it will hurt, but I want to. I'm ready."

Severus gaze locked with hers. "You... You have not?"

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I wanted to wait for somebody I loved. You're it for me, Severus. This love will never die."

Severus nodded then, capturing her lips once more, as his fingers lowered themselves into her folds, which seemed to wet immediately as he grazed her there. He didn't have to move her legs apart, for she was already doing that on her own. Carefully, he prepared himself, before he could no longer stand it, and put himself inside her.

"Severus," Cassia groaned then, tears filling her eyes as she grabbed ahold of him then, and he pressed a comforting kiss to her lips. She arched up against him then, and, quite suddenly, the pain in her gaze was replaced with a heated desire. She wrapped her legs around his torso again, and whispered, "Make me yours, Severus. _All_ yours."

Severus widened then, not wanting to hurt her, but the notion of filling Cassia in that moment was too much not to handle. He gently took ahold of her hips then, and soon he was pumping in and out of her, unable to stop. He called her name, more than once, more than twice, as he pounded into her, and Cassia sobbed and screamed his name over and over again. He waited until she had come, and only then did he permit himself to do so, before falling down on top of her, completely exhausted.

When the silvery light of dawn came through his window, Cassia somehow managed to untangle herself from Severus. Tears were in her eyes; she knew he would never love her, and even though she had given herself to him, it wasn't bound to change anything. Softly, she gathered her clothes and stepped out of there, retrieving her book, and slipped out.

. . .

The rest of the winter continued with Severus treating Cassia like she was merely a student, and Cassia didn't volunteer anything in any of her classes. She completed the work on time and as described, turning it in and received full marks, but her passion was gone. Winter ended and spring arrived, with the seventh-years preparing hour after hour for their N.E.W.T.'s exams, which Cassia was not looking forward to. She forced herself to complete activities as May dawned, but the notion that people would catch her vomiting several times a week was not something she wanted them to discover.

It was on that first day of May that she counted the days, and then the weeks, and placed her head into her hands and sobbed. She had skipped potions that day, getting a note from Madam Pomfrey, which stated she had flu-like symptoms and should rest for the rest of the day. It didn't bother her, as it meant she and Amara got the Gryffindor girls' dormitory to themselves. She looked up at Amara then, who was gazing at her.

_Mistress_, _you are still ill_.

"You know why, don't you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Amara bowed slightly to her. _It is in my nature to know such things_, _mistress_. _It is plainly evident to me that you are suffering from heartbreak_.

Cassia let out a groan and threw herself backwards on the bed, but nevertheless found herself cupping her head. If she was suffering from heartbreak, it was four months old, for her coupling with Severus was still her only encounter. Cassia felt her eyes filling with tears then at the notion that she was being so melodramatic about this situation, and hoped beyond home that it would end as quickly as possible.

As the weeks passed, N.E.W.T.'s happened, and Cassia wasn't sure whether or not she was relieved or worried that potions was scheduled as the last one. She wore her robes close to her body, not wanting anyone to know about the unexpected pregnancy. The downfall of all the exams was that they came with stress; she had vomited steadily for months now, and nearly every food she ate made her ill. Due to her studying and worrying about what Severus' reaction would be to the revelation of the pregnancy, she had not slept either. Her shoulder blades, spine, and hip bones were sticking out, and she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to survive on her own like this.

"Your exam time is ten more minutes," came Severus's voice.

Cassia swallowed, deliberately not looking at him as she continued writing the final paragraph on their essay; the topic was Wolfsbane Potion. Lycanthropy was nothing to joke about, and she felt badly for anyone effected with the disease. She finished the final paragraph, ending with her final thoughts on the matter, and slowly got to her feet. Plenty of other students were still writing, but that didn't do much to phase her; she was finished, and proud of her work. As she walked towards the turn-in point, she placed it on the desk, purposely not giving Severus eye contact as she did so, and turned around to gather her things and leave.

As she turned, however, her legs buckled, and she felt herself falling onto the cold floor of the dungeon classroom. She was so exhausted that she couldn't stop herself and, as she hit the floor, saw nothing but black. When the typical scent of a sterile environment hit her nose, her eyes came open then, and saw Madam Pomfrey checking her over.

"Ah, you're back, Miss Serbus."

Cassia sighed, managing to get up into a sitting position, her head spinning, and shut her eyes, waiting for it to clear. "How long was I...?"

"You completed your final N.E.W.T.'s for potions yesterday afternoon," the mediwitch informed her patiently. "You were plagued with exhaustion, dehydration, and near-starvation. We got nutrient potions into you, plus a Dreamless Sleep Potion."

Cassia nodded; it explained why she no longer felt hungry, thirsty, or exhausted anymore. "Is that all?" she asked.

"No, not exactly," Madam Pomfrey said softly.

Cassia swallowed then. "All right. What else is there?"

"Were you aware that you were pregnant, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia's jaw dropped then, and she shook her head. "Pregnant? Me? What?"

"Yes. You're about five months along, I'd say," the mediwitch confirmed. "You're also expecting twins. It came out of the analysis," she explained.

"But... Pregnant?" she whispered, clutching her stomach and shaking her head. "Oh, my... But, I'm only eighteen!"

"Were you and your partner not safe?" she asked.

"It was only one time!" she cried out then, tears in her eyes as she shook her head. "I know it only takes once, but this..." She shook her head. "I'd never...never before him..."

"Oh, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head. "Well, I'm afraid it is too late to 'get rid of it', so to speak. If you don't want your children, you'll have to find an appropriate adoptive family for them when the time is—"

"No!" Cassia cried out then, covering her stomach, as if to prevent her unborn children from hearing the mediwitch's words.

"You are very young, Miss Serbus, and I know you harbor dreams of being an Auror, and doing that with two children, not to mention alone..."

"It doesn't matter. I have my magic," Cassia said, looking down at her stomach, which seemed to look like it was carrying children. "They're my family, my children. I love them. Nobody is taking them away from me, Madam Pomfrey."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Very well, then."

"Does... Does anyone else know?" she asked, her voice softer then.

"No, of course not," she replied. "You're no longer underage, so there's no cause for me to tell anyone about the pregnancy."

Cassia nodded, realizing then that, if she named the father, then it would suddenly become everyone's business, as an inquiry would likely have to be put forth. "Very well then," she said, and swung her legs off her bed. "May I go?"

The mediwitch looked reluctant, but nodded. "Yes, Miss Serbus. You're excused."

Cassia nodded. "Brilliant," she said, summoning her clothes and gathering them to her chest, and waited for the mediwitch to leave before she changed. She took off her hospital gown, and turned to gaze at herself in the floor-length mirror. She touched her stomach then, and felt whole for the first time in ages. "Hello," she whispered then, and a chuckle escaped her lips when one of the babies turned and flipped about inside her. "Well, let us allow the adventure of motherhood to begin, then, shall we?"


	5. Fools Rush In

Cassia sat in a circle with Charlie, Samantha, Alabaster, Storm, and Tonks; each of them held a good-sized envelope in their hands, and were sitting in the grass outside Hagrid's Hut. The envelopes they held contained the results of their N.E.W.T.'s exams; for the most part, each of them had taken similar subjects, with Tonks and Cassia opting for History of Magic, while the others had decided on Herbology. While Professor Binns had never enthralled Cassia in his given subject as Severus—or other professors at Hogwarts—had, overall, he had been pleasant towards her, when he wasn't busy lecturing on a tangent, or snoring on his desk.

"Ready?" Charlie asked, gripping the edge of his envelope.

"Ready," Tonks confirmed.

"Steady hand, now," Alabaster put in.

"One," Cassia said.

"Two," Samantha and Storm said together.

"Three!" everyone said at once, and ripped open their respective envelopes.

Cassia gazed at the piece of parchment before her; a minimum of five N.E.W.T.'s were required at Hogwarts, and Cassia had taken six. There was a little key at the top of the page, indicating what the letter grades meant; O was for Outstanding, E was for Exceeds Expectations, A was for Acceptable, P was for Poor, D was for Dreadful, and T was for Troll. The subjects that Cassia had taken for the exams were Charms and History of Magic on Monday, followed by Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration on Wednesday, and Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions on Friday. Cassia very nearly dropped her paper in shock, for the revelation that she had gotten an O in each subject astounded her.

"You all right?" Charlie asked, looking over her shoulder. "Merlin. Cassia's got six O's!" he shouted then, clapping her on the shoulder.

Cassia shook her head, a nervous laugh exiting her mouth. "It's all right, not a huge deal," she said, and attempted to stuff her results into her robes.

"I'm so prou' of yer!" Hagrid declared, coming out of his hut with a plate of Bath Buns for them all, Fang at his heels, who quickly ran towards Cassia and sat protectively by her side. Hagrid set the plate down in the center of the circle, and regarded Fang. "Blimey. He seems to 've taken 'eh shine to yer," said the giant with amusement. "Come on, Fang. Leave off."

"It's all right, Hagrid," Cassia assured him, smiling up at him before stroking Fang. "Dogs are notoriously protective creatures."

"Why would he need to protect you?" Charlie asked, shoving one of Hagrid's buns into his mouth and somehow managing to swallow it. "You're such a powerful witch and he's a bloody coward, according to Hagrid."

"True," Hagrid put in, nodding. "Why is he protectin' yeh?"

"Because he senses something that you all don't," Cassia said with a small sigh, and, almost instantly, all eyes turned to her. "Fang has guessed that I have something, a condition, that would put me at a disadvantage towards the outside world."

"A disadvantage?" Tonks demanded. "You're great at dueling and spells, plus you passed your Apparition Test on the first try—even Charlie couldn't do that!"

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I swear, that Muggle woman was a gossip... I didn't mean to interrupt her shopping, I swear!"

"What is it you're keeping from us, Cassia?" Samantha asked, peering at her best friend. "I know you, and even I know when something's up."

"You haven't been volunteering information during class. Even Snape's noticed!" Charlie said, looking Cassia over with concern. "What's going on?"

Cassia sighed then, knowing that she could count on her friends, but also knowing that they would be bound to ask the obvious question. Summoning the courage that had had her placed in Gryffindor, Cassia let out a breath and looked them all over. "I'm pregnant," she said softly then, and Samantha and Tonks looked shocked, while Alabaster turned with a glare at Charlie, Hagrid looked stumped, and Storm looked like he wanted to avoid Alabaster's wrath, even though it wasn't directed at him.

Charlie put up his hands. "Al, you don't have to—"

"YOU!" Alabaster shouted then, and launched himself at Charlie, effortlessly knocking him to the ground, and pinning him there, while Charlie made an effort to get away. "What the hell is wrong with you, Weasley?! What have you done to Cassia?!"

Charlie turned and looked at Cassia, who immediately started trying to push Alabaster off from her friend's pinned form. "He's oddly possessive, isn't he?"

"He's a distant cousin—all Pure-Bloods are related, even in America," Cassia said as she tried to get Alabaster off of Charlie, and Tonks soon joined in to help. "Come _on_, Al! You need to stop this right now!" she said, hauling him off, whereupon her robe came open, and showed off her stomach to her friends, thus confirming her status.

"YOU LITTLE!" Alabaster said, moving to attack Charlie again.

"STOP!" Cassia said. "It's not his fault! It's not his!"

Alabaster immediately moved away from Charlie then, staring at Cassia. "What the devil do you mean, it's not his?"

"Just that. Charlie and I haven't done anything like that," Cassia told him, standing her ground in front of Alabaster.

"I just kissed her—once!" Charlie said, dusting some grass off his robes, while Tonks managed to vanish the stains for him. "That was before we realized we were like brother and sister! Cassia is my friend. We don't think of each other that way."

"When did this happen?" Samantha asked, glaring at Alabaster before coming to stand beside her friend, looking her over.

"Christmas. I went to Hogsmeade, and met someone in the Hog's Head," Cassia said, thinking up the lie on the spot. "It just happened, really, and only Madam Pomfrey knows, other than all of you. So, please, don't say anything."

"You don't need to tell us that," Charlie said, turning to look at Hagrid.

Hagrid stared down at them all. "Wha'?" he asked.

"Hagrid, you're notoriously bad at keeping secrets," Tonks said.

"I won' say anythin' abou' this," Hagrid assured Cassia, holding up his hand. "Trus' me. I won' say anythin'."

Cassia sighed, putting a hand on her stomach. "It's bound to get out soon anyway. Thankfully, we just have another few weeks left here. Then, I don't know what my plans are. I'm not going back to America for anything—my family would kill me."

"You can't mean that," Tonks said.

"She can," Samantha put in.

"It's true," Charlie said, putting an arm around Cassia's shoulders. "Mum and Dad will let you stay at the Burrow, Cass, if you want."

Cassia smiled. "Thanks, Charlie. I know it's safe there, and I may just take your mother up on that, if nothing else happens."

"Something will happen," Tonks assured Cassia. "The Auror Department usually tracks down the recruits for Auror Training Program from the graduating class they want a couple weeks from now. Who knows? Maybe we'll _both_ get into the department."

Cassia smiled. "I won't hold my breath, but if they want me, I'll take anything that comes my way to provide for them," she said, putting her hands protectively onto her stomach.

"Sorry. Them?" Storm asked, speaking for the first time.

Cassia nodded, smiling briefly at Storm. "It's twins," she told them, and Hagrid ley out a yell of celebration, prompting Fang to howl, and stand more firmly at Cassia's side.

. . .

Cassia was in the library about two weeks after she had revealed her pregnancy to her friends, and was finding it difficult to keep a bulky sweater, or her school robes, on her person. Not just because of her expanding size, but also due to the weather, now that summer was just around the corner, and the heat was getting to her. Cooling Charms only went so far, as she knew that anyone could take ahold of her wand and see what spells she was casting, and how many times she had used them. Just as she was turning to one of the numerous tomes she'd found in the Herbology section—hoping to find some herbs that would ease the morning sickness which still seemed to plague her, Tonks darted into the library, upsetting the cart of books that Madam Pince had not yet shelved.

"_What_ have you done?!" the librarian screeched in a terrifying whisper, making her way over to Tonks without hesitation, and peering down her nose at the witch, whose hair had turned blue in a moment of slight fear.

Cassia immediately spelled her books back onto the shelves, as she hadn't been getting anywhere with any of them anyhow, and got to her feet. Pulling her robes around her before anyone could see her stomach, she made her way over to the librarian and Tonks, who still looked plenty ashamed of herself. "Let me help," she said quietly.

Madam Prince gave Cassia an indulgent look; she liked the fact that an American witch had graced the school library, never spoke above a whisper, if at all, and always knew where to return the books she didn't want. "There is no need," she said, her eyes sweeping over her, and Cassia blanched, knowing then that the librarian truly saw everything in her domain. "Perhaps you can escort Miss Tonks out, as you seem to be her sole purpose of being here."

Tonks's hair returned to her typical bright pink, as she beamed. "She's right!" she said a little too loudly, before making a grab for Cassia's arm and hauling her out of there. "You didn't tell Pince, did you?!" she hissed.

Cassia immediately shook her head. "No, of course I didn't. And I haven't been under the Imperius Curse or Veritaserum lately..."

Tonks nodded, and continued pulling her along. "Thought not."

"Just where are you taking me?" Cassia asked, her book bag hitting her a bit painfully on her hip, as she did her best to keep her robe closed with her free hand. "I was reading..."

"Don't tell me you found anything interesting," Tonks tossed over her shoulder.

Cassia sighed. "No, of course I didn't. I was pretty much walking blind in there, as a matter of fact, given that I know next to nothing about... Well, this."

"Perhaps visit a Muggle library or bookshop on the subject once we're out of here," she said before pulling them into an alcove. "Got an owl this morning."

Cassia raised her eyebrows before putting on a buttoning charm upon the edges of her robes, so that she wouldn't have to constantly hold them closed. "Yeah? Everything all right?"

Tonks grinned. "Yes, and there's more. Apparently, Headmaster Dumbledore requested that he sees the two of us in his office."

Cassia blinked. "The two of us? Why wasn't I told?"

"Apparently, he thought it would come better from me," Tonks said with a shrug, leading Cassia to believe that she didn't question it. "Come on. We're due there any minute, and he assured me in the letter that it was important."

Cassia didn't need telling twice, and she and Tonks moved quickly to the grand staircase which would take them directly to the headmaster's office. They arrived at the gargoyle, who looked at them pointedly, and Cassia rolled her eyes. "Cauldron Cakes," she said, her tone slightly bitter, and the creature promptly jumped out of the way, revealing the staircase beyond, and the pair of witches immediately began to climb.

The door seemed to swing open once they arrived, as if it sensed their presence, and Tonks and Cassia immediately stepped inside, nodding to Fawkes, who twittered happily at seeing the two of them. They mutually hesitated on the threshold then, when an unfamiliar wizard was seen sitting in the headmaster's chair. He had below-the-shoulder-length dark brown hair, and piercing dark eyes, and looked them both over accordingly, before he got to his feet. He wore deep blue robes, but they appeared much more practical and less formal than the headmaster's robes, and none of what he wore had moons patterned on them.

"Miss Tonks?" he said, shaking her hand before turning to Cassia. "Miss Serbus?" and gave her a handshake as well.

"Yes," Cassia and Tonks said together.

"Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office," he said by means of introduction. "Headmaster Dumbledore has permitted me the use of his office for a moment."

"Oh!" Tonks said, and it became clear that she knew who he was. "Pleasure to meet you, sir. I've long admired you."

"Thank you," Scrimgeour replied. "I've come to Hogwarts to let the two of you know that your applications for the Auror Training Program have been received. As of right now, the two of you are formally handpicked by me to be in the training program, the only members of the seventh-year class to make the cut."

"I didn't know I'd sent in an application, sir," Cassia put in.

"The MACUSA sent over a copy of your application, Miss Serbus, given that Headmaster Dumbledore informed them that you were keen on remaining in Europe."

Cassia blinked. "Oh. I see."

"Was he mistaken in informing the MACUSA of that, Miss Serbus?"

"No, sir, I'm sorry. Just a little shocked, is all," Cassia said quickly.

"The two of you did wonderfully in your core classes, and your N.E.W.T.'s scores were among the most excellent we've seen pre-Training Program in quite a while," Scrimgeour continued in his drawl-like voice. "Of course, in order to get into the training program, you must first be formally evaluated by me, as I am head of the department itself."

"Understood," Tonks put in.

"Why do you want to be an Auror?" he asked, and looked at Cassia to answer.

"I've always been interested in the law, sir, and, while reading and learning about it is one thing, actually being in the field and hunting down dark wizards is another. Dark wizards, clearly, must be held accountable for their actions, and having a department to hold them responsible is an appropriate action to take. I want to be an Auror, sir, to help those who have been hurt or taken advantage of by dark wizards, in a way that Healers cannot, by bringing those who have hurt them to justice, and thereby giving others a voice that they either don't have the courage to use, or are not given the opportunity to use."

Scrimgeour regarded Cassia for a moment, before nodding slowly. "Very good, Miss Serbus," he said, before turning to Tonks. "What do you believe would be a difficult task for you within the Auror Training Program?" he asked her.

Once Scrimgeour was satisfied with the answers that both Cassia and Tonks had given him, he told them to expect his owl for further instructions on the Training Program. He bid them good day, remaining in the office to presumably speak to Dumbledore, while Tonks and Cassia left him behind. Tonks mentioned something about writing to her parents about the meeting, and returned to the Hufflepuff common room shortly thereafter, while Cassia climbed the stairs to Gryffindor Tower.

"Cassia!" said Charlie as soon as she walked through the portrait hole. "You all right?"

"Fine," Cassia replied, taking off her book bag and spelling it upstairs to her dormitory. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"The twins said they heard that you and Tonks were summoned to Dumbledore's office. He didn't find out, did he?"

Cassia looked around the room, realizing that, likely due to the nice day, everyone was missing from it, so she turned to answer Charlie. "No, he didn't find out. Actually, Tonks and I just came out of a meeting with Rufus Scrimgeour."

"Scrimgeour? The Head of the Auror Office?"

"Yeah," Cassia replied. "Apparently, Tonks and I have been hand-picked by him to enter the Auror Training Program this summer."

Charlie blinked. "So, you're really staying, then? In Europe?"

Cassia nodded. "Yeah. I would have, anyway, given my less-than-satisfactory relationship with my family on the whole. And, well...this," she said, gesturing to her stomach. "They really would kill me about it, Charlie. No questions asked."

Charlie swallowed then, before taking Cassia's hands. "You know I'd do anything for you, right, Cassia?" he asked.

Cassia blinked. "Well, sure, Charlie. Same goes for you."

"Listen, I know you don't want to talk about the twins' father, and I completely understand and respect the hell out of that," Charlie went on, dragging the pad of his respective thumbs across Cassia's knuckles. "But every child needs a father. I wouldn't be the man I was today without my father, or Bill, for that matter. Which is why I wanted to ask you if, maybe, you'd want to get married, and then I'd help you with the kids?"

Cassia very nearly laughed aloud at that. "Charlie! Really..."

Charlie stared at her then, his brown eyes serious.

"Oh, my god, you're not kidding," Cassia said.

Charlie swallowed. "No, I'm not."

"Charlie, you want to work in Romania with dragons. You already got accepted into the fellowship program this summer," Cassia said quickly. "And besides, my work with the Auror Office, assuming I get in, will keep me in England..."

"We'll figure it out," Charlie said quickly. "You can stay with Mum and Dad, and I'll come home on the weekends—"

"Charlie, I can't," Cassia told him, her voice firm as she dropped her hands from his. "I don't love you."

Charlie sighed. "Well, I don't love you either. At least, not in that way. But we could be happy, Cassia, and have a life together..."

Cassia sighed then, shaking her head. "I lied," she said softly.

Charlie made a face. "About being pregnant...?"

"No," Cassia said, shaking her head. "God, who would lie about that?! I lied about meeting a wizard in Hogsmeade on Christmas."

"About which part...?"

"Everything, except for it happening during the Christmas holidays part," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I wanted to protect the father's identity, because of who he is, and my feelings for him, and the fact that he doesn't know..."

Charlie stared into Cassia's eyes, shocked. "You love him?"

"Yeah, more than almost anything," she replied, running her hand along her stomach. "I don't know what would happen if people found out, but he could get in a lot of trouble."

"Who is it? Not Dumbledore..."

Cassia laughed aloud at that. "No! Of course not. He's over a hundred-years-old, and not at all my type. He was fatherly towards me from the moment I began at school here last September, so it would've been all wrong."

"Well, who is the father, then?" Charlie asked.

Cassia swallowed. "He's a professor..."

"A professor?! Blimey, Cassia! What possessed you?!"

"I'm in love with him!" she cried out then, throwing up her hands. "Falling in love isn't something you can control or turn off or stop it from happening. Did I want it to happen with him? I don't know. Do I want to give him up? No, I didn't. I did, after our one night together, because there's no way in hell he'd want me..."

"Why wouldn't he...?" Charlie cut himself off then as Cassia's eyes locked with him, and it was then that he figured it out. "Snape," he said then, and Cassia bit her bottom lip. "I saw you staring at him during the Halloween Ball, but I didn't think..." He shook his head. "He _hates_ all Gryffindors, Cassia, and I've never seen him talk positively with anyone save for the other professors, and even that's barely polite..."

Cassia nodded. "I know..."

"How did it happen?"

"He... He seemed jealous of us," she said, gesturing in between the two of them. "He thought that you were my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Charlie cried out. "That's insane!"

"Not really," Cassia said with a shrug. "We're always together, and you've just proposed to me, for god's sake!"

Charlie dragged his hands through his red hair. "So, you love him..."

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I do."

"And he doesn't know?"

Cassia shook her head. "No. No, he doesn't know."

"He'll find out eventually," Charlie put in, and held up his hand when Cassia began to protest the notion of that. "No, I'm not going to tell him. But speaking from the point of view of a guy, I think he has the right to know that he's going to be a father. Hagrid can't keep his mouth shut, so sooner or later he'll blow your cover, and Snape isn't an idiot. He'll put two and two together and it could be bad, Cassia. Really bad."

Cassia nodded then, wrapping her arms around herself. "I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she acknowledged that truth. "Let's just say I'm taking it a day at a time, and preparing myself for the inevitable."

"What's the inevitable?"

"That I could lose him again," she whispered.

. . .

Once the graduation ceremony had ended on the sunny grounds of Hogwarts, Cassia was pulled aside by Samantha, garbed in her blue graduation gown, with a satisfied smile on her lips. Cassia had cast a Disillusionment Charm upon herself, and had done so nearly every day since her meeting with Scrimgeour, so her close-fitting red graduation robes did not hug her slowly but steadily expanding stomach. She permitted Samantha to drag her a bit along the grounds, so as they escaped the graduation crowds, which included the students themselves, professors, and other well-wishers for the day.

"Have you made up your mind?" Samantha asked.

Cassia blinked. "About what?"

"You've gotten into both the Auror Training Programs for the British Ministry, as well as the MACUSA," Samantha said patiently. "Have you made up your mind which one you're going to participate in?"

Cassia nodded, swallowing slightly then. "I'm staying in Europe, Samantha," she said quietly, and smiled at her friend. "This is the opportunity for a new beginning for me, now that I've finished my required schooling. I feel as if my children will enjoy this place far better than they will America. The last thing I want is my grandfather attempting to get me to marry that Pure-Blood friend of his..."

Samantha nodded, pulling Cassia into her arms and holding her against her for a moment. "I expected as much," she said, before pulling back and smiling at her. "If anyone deserves a second chance at it, life and a career and family and everything, it's you."

"Thank you, for being so understanding," she replied.

Samantha grinned at her. "Of course. This is your dream—not just being an Auror, but getting away from all of _them_." She hesitated for a moment, still clutching at Cassia's hands. "Tonks better take care of you."

Cassia nodded. "She will. We're doing the program together and, hopefully, we'll both be accepted into the department once it's over." She smiled at her best friend, hoping beyond hope that this wouldn't prove to be their last goodbye. "Um, and you? You're going into the Training Program for Aurors at the MACUSA. What's Alabaster going to do?"

"The Body for Protection of Magical Species at MACUSA," Samantha said, her expression positively glowing with pride. "Oh, and not to mention this," she said, holding up her left hand, which sported a an oval-shaped sapphire ring, surrounded by two circular diamonds on each side, in a gold setting.

Cassia gasped. "You and Alabaster?!" she cried out.

"Who else?!" Samantha said with a grin. "We went for a walk last night, after our damned rehearsal for all this," she said, gesturing around them all. "He told me that, now that all our plans were in place, that he thought we should start our lives together as soon as possible. And then he got down on one knee and pulled out this ring, and all I could do was cry and say yes. I wasn't expecting it, of course—I mean, I wanted it to happen, and we'd always talked about getting married down the line. But I had no idea it was coming then, but, boy, I'm so glad it did, because I can't live without him, you know?"

Cassia nodded then, biting hard on her lower lip. "I know exactly what you mean," she said, and gave Samantha a hug. "I... I'll see you later, okay?" she said, and made a run for it, across the grounds and past the Whomping Willow and Hagrid's Hut, until she was at the main doors of the castle, which she somehow managed to push open. Running down the hallways as quickly as she dared, she found the staircase for the dungeons, and ran down them as quickly as she could, not even caring about the sudden drop in temperature. Steeling herself for rejection, she quickly opened the door and stood in the doorway, and immediately spotted Severus, head bent, looking over the latest edition of _Potion's Quarterly_. Shutting the door behind her and crossing the room, she stood before his desk and hesitated, until he looked up at her.

"Yes, Miss Serbus?"

"Cut it out," she said instantly, crossing her arms and staring down at him. "Now I'm _really_ not your student anymore. I'm an Auror-Trainee now, so you've got no reason to be so formal with me. In fact, I hate it."

Severus sighed, shutting his magazine and staring up at Cassia. "And how would you like me to address you, then? Auror Serbus?"

"God, no!" Cassia said, shaking her head. "It's kind of a moot point, isn't it? Considering where we've been, all we've done?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "It couldn't have meant anything to you, considering that you saw fit to leave before I woke up the next morning."

Cassia crossed her arms. "Don't pretend that you wouldn't have done the same thing if the roles were reversed."

"If the roles were reversed, I would have been in the dormitory with you. That could never happen, given the harsh penalties that would've likely come my way."

"Not to mention how much you hate Gryffindor House," Cassia said, a light giggle escaping her lips before she could call it back. "That was why you took such an extreme dislike to me, wasn't it, Severus? Because you wanted me in Slytherin."

"The fact that I took such a dislike to you, Miss Serbus, was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Untrue," Cassia countered, bristling at the notion that he had addressed her formally once again, despite her request for him not to. "You love your snakes, but you hate Minerva's lions. What have we done to you as a whole, to make you this way?"

"I think you know very well what my dislike stems from, Miss Serbus."

"Cassia!" she shouted, slamming her fist down on the desk before him, her magic flowing to the surface of her skin in her rage. "_Don_'_t _be so formal with me, Severus! I've shared your bed, so it's not like you've got just cause to be so formal with me! I don't think it automatically makes me special, either, so don't try that tactic with me!"

Severus bolted to his feet then, staring Cassia down. "Why are you here?"

"Why else?" she whispered, nearly trembling at the look he gave her. "I wanted to assure you that I wasn't lying that night, during the holidays. I wasn't lying when I told you that I was in love with you, and I still am, in love with you, I mean. It's not something that I'm able to turn off or wish away, and I can't help it, because we'll be tied together forever..."

"Do you Americans truly think you need to keep in touch with the person who takes your virginity?" Severus sneered. "I assure you, you don't have to—"

"Fuck this," Cassia growled, ripping off her graduating gown, which gave Severus pause, as he waited to figure out what she was going to do next. "Finite," she whispered, pointing her wand at herself then, and Severus stepped back, a combination of shock and horror on his face, as he took in Cassia's stomach.

"You... You're...?"

"Yes, I'm pregnant," Cassia replied, her voice much softer than it had been before. "And before you demand to know if I've been whoring around with the entire school, no. They're yours," she said, her voice nearly breaking then.

Severus walked around his desk slowly then, cautiously stepping towards Cassia, and gently put his hands to her stomach, a gasp inadvertently escaping her lips as he touched her. "They?" he whispered then, raising his eyes to hers. "It's more than one?"

Cassia nodded. "It's twins."

Severus swallowed then, before he shook his head. "Why didn't you have me...? You're not on any kind of contraceptives?"

Cassia shook her head. "No, of course not. My family, my mother's family, was Catholic, and they disapproved of such things. Besides, if things had gone according to my grandfather's wishes, I'd have been married to that Pure-Blood..."

"No," Severus growled then, and Cassia felt something akin to hope flowing through her. "I hope you're not going to return to their clutches..."

Cassia shook her head. "No. Tonks and I have been accepted into your ministry's Auror Training Program, so... I'm not going anywhere..."

Severus nodded. "Yes, I see."

Cassia wetted her lips then, her heart hammering at the notion that they were standing so close to one another. "I... I don't expect anything," she told him, and Severus blinked. "I don't expect you to marry me or anything like that. It's 1991—it's perfectly acceptable for me to raise these babies alone. I won't ask you for money—my grandmother left me some, which is transferred to Gringotts when I first got here..."

"Money?"

"A small fortune," she said with a shrug. "I've got a few thousand Galleons to my name, and it should hold me until I get my position with the ministry."

"She's the one who taught you about potions?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. She died a year before my acceptance into Ilvermorny. One of the No-Maj-Born families that my grandfather tormented killed her out of revenge. She may have been a Pure-Blood, but she didn't approve of Grandpa's policies. The only mistake she made was staying with him, even after she figured it out..."

"What was her name?" Severus asked.

"Elisabetta," Cassia replied with a smile. "She's the one who taught me about the magical world, and was the only one in the family who knew I wasn't a Squib."

"And she didn't intervene whenever they hurt you?"

Cassia sighed. "She was a small woman—almost died giving birth to my mother," she replied. "I don't think she could've stood up to her husband, let alone my mother, or her son. Uncle Leonardo, my mother's brother, would carry out the punishments, while my grandfather would dictate them. My mother watched, standing next to my grandfather, with this look of... Well, nothing, on her face, while it happened..."

"And yet, after all he did to you, you regret taking away your grandfather's ability to walk, after he cursed you with the Cruciatus?"

Cassia smiled. "I know; it sounds like a sick joke, or a terrible punchline. But I know that I'm safe now, I do."

"Where will you go?"

"Tonks's parents have agreed to have me while Tonks and I are training," she said softly. "And then, I don't know. Probably a flat, in London. I hear you call them flats," she said, a little laugh escaping her lips. "Quite an odd word..."

Severus shook his head. "I won't have you living in a flat."

Cassia blinked. "Excuse me? You won't have me living in a flat...?"

Severus sighed, wordlessly and wandlessly opening the door to his inner rooms, and beckoned something to come forth from within. After a moment, an antique-looking silver key flew into his hand, and he handed it over. "It doubles as a portkey to what it opens."

Cassia blinked, weighing the piece in her hand. "What is it to?"

"Prince Manor," Severus replied. "I received it with my inheritance after my mother died. She died when I was a child, but my grandparents didn't pass on until a few years ago. As such, as the only living heir, I received the house. However, I am either here or at my childhood home in Spinner's End, which is hardly appropriate to raise children."

Cassia swallowed, remembering Tobias Snape in some of Severus's memories, and her skin immediately began to crawl. "No," she agreed.

"It is in West Sussex," Severus continued, "less than two hours from London, although I do believe it is still connected to the Floo Network. It is a large, stately home, done up in the Victorian gothic style. From what I remember, black stone was used for most of the building, but it was made strong via charms, so although it looks imposing at first glance, it is a well-built home that you will be protected in."

"Manors are notoriously...large," Cassia said quietly.

"Yes, and Prince Manor is no exception," Severus replied. "I suspect you'll need to hire house-elves to run the place and watch the children while you are out."

Cassia wrinkled her nose. "I don't much care for the idea of slavery."

"Not all house-elf arrangements are pure slavery, Cassia. Many of them grow to love their masters instead of fear them, and they will become so loyal to the family that, even if you present them with clothes and freedom, they won't leave, because you have been so good to them. Just because you have them, doesn't mean you're required to abuse them."

Cassia sighed. "Yes," she said, closing her hand around the key. "I suppose you're right."

"So, you accept the manor?" Severus asked.

Cassia nodded, standing on her toes and brushing Severus's lips with hers, pulling away just as he was about to respond to the kiss. "I do accept it, Severus. Thank you." She turned around then to head upstairs, to gather Amara and her things, before heading out. She had a lot of work to do if she was going to Apparate to West Sussex by that night.

"Cassia."

Cassia turned around then at the sound of her name on Severus's lips. "Yes?"

"You really weren't lying?" he asked. "About loving me."

She shook her head. "No. I wasn't."

He nodded then, hesitating. "Just... Don't disappear again," he said, and something seemed to change within his eyes then, and he looked more human than she had ever seen him.

"No," she told him, and permitted herself to smile at him. "I won't," came her assurance, before she lifted her hand in a wave, put up another Disillusionment Charm, and tucked her robe under her arm, which concealed the key she held, and left the dungeons for the last time as a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	6. Mile a Minute

Prince Manor, although as dark and gothic as Severus had described, was a truly lovely piece of architecture and Cassia found herself falling immediately in love with it. She was able to Apparate onto the front porch, and, once she pressed a hand onto the door so as the wards would recognize her, the old wooden thing opened at her touch. She stepped inside, looking around the entryway, and swallowed, gently shutting the door behind her.

"Homenum Revelio," she said then, and, when nothing happened, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. The last thing she needed were Death Eaters hiding out in her new home. Stepping out of the entryway and into the hallway, she realized that the first room was a parlor, and it was positioned opposite a grand staircase. "Lumos Maxima," she said, and aimed it at the light source upon the ceiling, which illuminated instantly, and remained constant, and would remain so unless taken off by magic, or the massive pull-chord in the corner of the hallway.

Walking into the parlor, she put on the various lamps, and quickly noticed that the room was in a pretty terrible state of disrepair. By using cleaning spells throughout the room, she was able to remove dust from every surface, as well as stitch up the tears and clear up the burn marks on the carpet she stood upon. Pleased with herself, she continued in this manner throughout the rest of the house, doing so with the drawing room, library, study, kitchen and butler's pantry, the informal and formal dining areas, the portrait gallery, the various bedrooms and bathrooms, the music room, and the attic.

Cassia stepped into the master suite when she'd finished, and found that it was close to lunch time. She returned her trunks to the original sizes and placed all her clothing into the wardrobe and dressers provided, and changed out of her school robes. She smiled to herself, and hung them in the closet, knowing that she would want to keep them forever, because they symbolized the freedom that she had so craved, and now had. She looked at herself in the floor-length mirror in the bedroom, and touched her hand to her stomach with a smile.

"Your father has generously given us this beautiful home," she whispered, caressing her swollen stomach, smiling throughout. "This is where you'll grow up, my darlings, and I swear to you, no matter what, I shall always, _always_, protect you."

. . .

Cassia cast a Disillusionment Charm before she stepped into the Floo for her first day of the Auror Training Program at the Ministry of Magic three days later. Tonks had vowed to keep the secret of her pregnancy, and Severus had outlined safety precautions to ensure that no damage was brought to the twins during the training sessions. Cassia saw the black tiles of the Ministry of Magic through the green flames and stepped through a moment later, with Tonks flying out of the fireplace next to her, and nearly colliding with the wizarding crowd.

"Tonks!" Cassia cried out then, darting forward and grabbing her, so as to prevent any potential annoyances from other departments. "You all right?" she asked, vanishing the dust that adorned her friend's Auror Trainee robes.

Tonks nodded, her hair flashing red for a moment as she glared at the wizard who had violently shoved her when she had inadvertently collided with him. "Nothing I can't handle," she replied, using her wand to make Cassia presentable, while her hair went pink again. "How are you?" she asked then, looking her up and down. "Okay?"

Cassia nodded. "Calm seas, for the moment," she replied, forcing a smile to her lips. "Now, are you aware of where we're due to go this morning?"

Tonks nodded. "The fourteenth floor," she replied, and tucked Cassia's arm in hers as they made their way to the lifts.

"All I know if that Scrimgeour told us we'd be training with an Alastor Moody," Cassia put in, and shivered. "He's known as 'Mad-Eye'."

"He's one of the best Aurors the ministry has," Tonks said softly to Cassia as they stepped into an available lift. "Oh! Good morning, Arthur!" she said, and waved.

"Ah, Tonks and Cassia!" Arthur Weasley said, and beamed at the two young witches. "Off for your first day in the Auror Training Program, I take it?" he asked as the lift door was pulled shut behind them.

"Yes, we're due to meet Alastor Moody on the fourteenth floor shortly," Cassia put in, and Arthur immediately nodded.

"He's one of our best," he assured the two of them, his voice filled with respect. "You should feel very honored to be training with him."

"We are, Arthur," Tonks said with a nod. "I've done some reading about him."

"Half the cells in Azkaban are filled because of him, isn't that right?" Cassia asked, with a quick smile at him.

"If not more," Arthur told them with a tight smile. "He's quite a diligent worker. There are many training groups for the training program; if you've been picked for Alastor's group, he must've seen some potential in you."

Tonks and Cassia said goodbye to Arthur once they'd reached their destination, with promises to come over for tea at their earliest convenience. As the two young witches walked down the hallway, they reached the proper door, which seemed to swing open automatically. They heisted for a moment, and then a barking voice interrupted their thoughts.

"In here, now!" it ordered, and Tonks and Cassia immediately moved to obey as the door slammed behind the two of them. They were greeted to the sight of a tall man, with weather-beaten robes, thin strawberry-blond hair, with a fake eye which seemed to follow their every move as they stood before him. "Ah. You must be Miss Tonks and Miss Serbus, part of my training team for the Auror Department."

"Yes, sir," Tonks and Cassia replied.

"Well, then," said Alastor Moody, regarding them both for a moment as he nodded, satisfaction brimming from his character. "I've been told by Headmaster Dumbledore and Rufus that the both of you are more than capable in your magic. How about we start with disarming? One at a time, you will see if you can disarm me."

"Expelliarmus!" Tonks said, once she was given the opportunity to do so, and Moody promptly blocked her magic with the thick staff he held, leaving Tonks disappointed.

"Very strong spell work, Miss Tonks," Moody assured her. "You should be very proud of that, and you will improve." His eyes drifted over to Cassia then, who had not uttered a word since her initial greeting of Moody. "Well, Miss Serbus? Go on, now."

Without hesitation, Cassia lifted her hand, without a wand, which made Moody arch an eyebrow ever so slightly. _Immobulus_, she though in her mind, but Moody blocked the spell. Cassia felt her magic tickling then, and as Moody launched into an explanation about wandless magic, she smirked to herself—she had him right where she wanted him. "Petrificus Totalus!" she yelled then, and Moody went ridged before falling to the floor.

"Merlin, Cassia!" Tonks cried out then, staring at her friend with an open mouth. "What have you done?! You'll be kicked out of the program for sure!"

Cassia rolled her eyes then, and raised her hand once more. "Finite," she replied, and Moody's demeanor softened immediately before he sprang to his feet, his eyes glued onto Cassia in what she assumed was fury.

"Miss Serbus," Moody growled, never looking away from her, "what you have just demonstrated to me here today was some of the most well-thought-out magic I've ever seen."

Tonks gasped. "It was?!" she squeaked.

Moody nodded, briefly looking at Tonks. "Quite right, Miss Tonks."

"Sir?" Cassia asked, her brows knitting together.

Moody turned back to look at Cassia. "You, Miss Serbus, made a show of using wandless magic outwardly, in an effort to distract me to your true intentions. Then, when I least expected it, you put me into the Full Body-Bind Curse. I can see that Headmaster Dumbledore and Rufus were right about both of you, as you are both very clever young witches. I'll take you on in my group, just the two of you, mind you, for I've not seen such extreme competence within magic in a very long time. I don't have patience for witches or wizards who fumble, or aren't aware of their power, or who don't know how to use it, or who are here for the wrong reasons. The two of you will do well in the department, I feel. Now," he said, putting his hands together, "shall we begin our training now?"

"Yes, sir," Cassia and Tonks said.

"Right," Moody said, turning to Tonks. "Miss Tonks, if you would, please demonstrate your Patronus Charm."

Tonks nodded, gripping her wand in her hand. "Expecto Patronum!" she said then, and the silvery light of a jack rabbit burst forth from her wand, and hopped about the room, causing Moody to smirk slightly in amusement.

"Very nice, Miss Tonks. And your Patronus, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia swallowed then, remembering what it had been like being held by Severus for the first time, and allowed the memory to overtake her mind. "Expecto Patronum!" she said, and her wand lit up then, the sleek bobcat bounding forth and running around the room.

"Such a lovely creature, one that I fear I've never seen..."

"It's a bobcat, sir," Cassia explained. "They're known to frequent my home state of Washington, on the West Coast of America."

"A lovely animal," Moody said then, although his tone was still gruff. "Now, Miss Tonks, I'm told you are a Metamorphmagus?"

"That is correct, sir."

"I have a mind to see a phoenix," Moody put in.

Tonks grinned, and her hair immediately took on several shades of red, orange, blue, and gold, before her mouth formed into a beak. Then, the tendrils of her hair sparked with fire, and her makeshift beak opened, and the trill of a phoenix, sounding just like Headmaster Dumbledore's familiar, Fawkes, filled the room. After a moment of this, the features of the beautiful avian receded, and all that was left was Tonks in her human form.

"That was most entertaining," Moody proclaimed, nodding his head, although he never smiled at Tonks. "Now, then. Miss Serbus, you're an Animagus?"

"I am, sir."

"Show your form, then."

Cassia dove downwards then, her hands elongating themselves slightly until they formed paws, and her entire body was coated with soft fur. She stood at attention, and let out an indulgent noise when Tonks carefully scratched her behind the ears. When she saw the Moody didn't look quite as impressed, she gently shook off Tonks's hand; the sound of Severus referring to her as an oversized kitten filled her mind with rage, which caused her tail to jut straight out and her hackles to rise. She felt her lips curling over her large fangs, and she glared at Moody, channeling her anger, and felt the almighty roar rip from her teeth, which caused Moody's hair to fly backwards slightly, due to the impact and, although it was subtle, the wizard struggled briefly to keep his footing.

"I understand, Miss Serbus, quite clearly," Moody said, once he managed to speak again. He caught a glimpse of something then, as Cassia returned to her human form, and his brows came together above the attachment for his fake eye. "Are you pregnant, Miss Serbus?" he asked then, no hint of condemnation in his voice.

Cassia swallowed, gritting her teeth, and was about to speak, when Tonks cut in front of her, partially shielding her with her body.

"Scrimgeour wouldn't have picked her if she wasn't capable," she said, narrowing her eyes at Moody, like it was a challenge.

"You knew of Miss Serbus's condition, Miss Tonks?" Moody asked.

"She's my best friend," Tonks replied without hesitation, and her hand quickly found Cassia's, as the latter moved to grip hers. "Not to mention the notion that I am a Hufflepuff, and loyalty is one of my strongest traits. Cassia didn't judge me on my family members who favor the side of the Dark, while I would never judge her on the company she keeps."

Moody wrapped his hands around the top of his staff, his fake eye drifting from one witch to the next, contemplation radiating off of him. "The company you keep, Miss Serbus... I take it that it is controversial?"

"One could say so, sir," Cassia replied, drawing herself up to her full height. "And by 'company', Tonks is referring to the father of my children. I am expecting twins," she said by means of explanation. "The father himself is aware of my condition, and while we are not a couple, he has sworn to be there for me. His knowledge about pregnancy is not rudimentary, and I am over six months into my time, however, he has assured me that, combined with a Disillusionment Charm—which is why you cannot see the extent of my pregnancy now—and my ability to protect myself otherwise, that I shall not come into harm."

Moddy nodded, now radiating understanding. "While I shall approve to take you on, with Miss Tonks, for the training program, Miss Serbus, understand this—you must take maternity leave as soon as your Healer suggests it. The ministry has never taken kindly to magical blood being spilt, and I can tell that there is an aura of magic in your womb. I assume that the father, in question, is also magical?"

"Yes, sir. And powerful," Cassia said, feeling her heart thrumming in her chest at the mention of the man she loved. "While I cannot reveal his identity, I can say that he is a good man, at heart, and while he cannot always show it, he does care for those he is loyal to."

Moody gave the sound of a cough, but Cassia took it to mean a gruff version of consent and acknowledgement at her words. "Provided that you will seek a Healer's advice in the coming weeks, as your pregnancy continues, then I see no reason not to continue to train you and Miss Tonks until the formal selection period. Is that understood?"

Cassia nodded. "Perfectly, sir."

"Very good," he said, all trace of compassion gone as he slammed his cane into the floor, which created a simulation of Muggle London, complete with buildings, alleyways, and various people milling about around them. "Now, next we will attempt to make ourselves invisible to the outside world via the Notice-Me-Not Charm. Are we quite ready to begin?"

. . .

Cassia, oddly enough, didn't feel weighted down when she and Tonks were presented with their red Auror robes, along with the badge that came along with them precisely two months later. She was still using the Disillusionment Charms, but Tonks and Moody were standing by her side, as well as a new friend and work colleague of hers, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley seemed to be very impressed with both her and Tonks, and while Moody would be overseeing Tonks for the duration of her first year, Kingsley would be Cassia's overseer.

"Are you ready for your first assignment?" Kingsley asked, finding Cassia in her new cubical in the DMLE's section for first-year Aurors.

"Of course," Cassia replied, grabbing for her robes and securing them over her. She was pleased that male Aurors had standard dress shoes, but females were permitted to wear knee-length boots, which Cassia had opted for. "What's our assignment?" she asked him, walking behind him as they made their way towards the lifts.

"Hiding in plain sight," Kingsley replied, gesturing to the lift operator to take them down to the main floor, as they stepped inside the box.

"In Muggle London, like Moody taught Tonks and me during the training process?" Cassia asked, assuming that it was plausible.

"A good guess, Cassia, but no," Kingsley replied, motioning for her to follow as they stepped out of the lift, once they'd arrived at their destination. "Today, you and I shall be visiting an old haunt of yours, as a matter of fact." He guided them in the direction of the line of fireplaces beside the main thoroughfare of the ministry, tapped the side panel once, and stepped inside the green flames, Cassia immediately going after him.

"Oh! Headmaster," Cassia said, propriety immediately entering her psyche then, as she found herself standing beside Kingsley in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts.

"Cassia," Dumbledore said warmly, stepping forward, shaking her hand with both of his, and permitted his eyes to twinkle down at her. "No need for such formality. Albus is quite all right, now that we are both professionals."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, si— Albus," she said, and smiled up at him.

Albus nodded at Cassia, squeezing her hands briefly before turning to Kingsley, whom he greeted with a clap on the shoulder. "Dear friend, I take it this is Cassia's first official night out of the training program, and you will be assisting her with hiding in plain sight?"

"Quite, Albus," Kingsley said with a nod. "I thought observing the start-of-the-year feast would be a worthwhile assignment, if that is not objectionable to you?"

Albus chuckled warmly. "Oh, I think not, Kingsley. Afterwards, do go to the kitchens if you are feeling hungry. I'll bet Cassia may need some supper."

Cassia's cheeks flushed. "Albus!" she hissed.

Albus turned to her with an indulgent smile. "Dear girl, you must know that I know virtually everything that goes on in this castle. While I don't disapprove, my dear, do be careful with the company you keep," he said, his eyes washing over her for a moment, before turning back to Kingsley, who looked uncomfortable, despite knowing that he knew exactly what Albus was referring to. "The carriages have already begun their journey here, and Hagrid will be along shortly to bring the first-years to the castle. You and Cassia had better get into the Great Hall, Kingsley," he told him.

"Yes, Albus," Kingsley replied with a nod. "Come, Cassia."

"Yes, Kingsley," Cassia said, shooting Albus a wary look as they turned around and headed down the staircase, the gargoyle jumping out of the way beforehand. "Made me feel like an eleven-year-old all over again," she confessed quietly.

Kingsley sighed, patting Cassia affectionately on the shoulder as they made their way towards the grand staircase. "_He_ knows, does he not?" he asked, referring to Severus, given that he gave a half-nod towards her hidden stomach.

Cassia nodded. "He does," she confirmed, and let out a happy gasp as she saw Professor McGonagall standing on the second floor, beside the Great Hall, eyes glued to the Main Entrance below, likely waiting for the first-years. "Minerva!" she cried out.

Minerva turned around, her pristine face immediately breaking out into a smile as she rushed forward, embracing Cassia. "The uniform looks well on you, dear," she gushed, with a brief nod to Kingsley, before turning her full attention back onto Cassia. "How are you? You look a bit peaky and tired..."

"Training takes a lot out of new recruits, Minerva," Kingsley put in.

"Oh, well of course," she said, gently patting Cassia's face. "Well, my dear, I suppose you're here to hide in plain sight, as it were?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, Minerva. All with Albus's permission, of course."

"Yes, of course," she said. "Well, the second-years and up should be along in the next ten minutes, so you had better get situated in the Great Hall now. Will we have an opportunity to speak later, dear?"

Cassia turned to Kingsley, who nodded, and Cassia turned back. "Apparently so. Well, we'll get gone then, ma'am," she said, grinning at her before she walked after Kingsley into the Great Hall, and felt a gasp lodge itself in her throat, when she saw Severus, as well as Filius, Professor Sprout, Professor Sinistra, Madam Pomfrey, and a man garbed in purple, wearing a turban, whom she did not recognize, but was speaking to Severus. "Who is that?" she whispered to Kingsley, nodding towards the turban-garbed man as they moved into a back corner near the Slytherin table, never taking her eyes off Severus.

Kingsley regarded the exchange between them, and whispered, "Glacius Minimis," and Cassia immediately found her flush gone as she darted her gaze away from Severus. "That's Professor Quirrell, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Cassia raised her eyes to Severus again, who promptly locked his with hers, and she could tell that the man did not trust the new professor. "We must watch out for him," she whispered to Kingsley, who turned to catch her every word.

"Why do you figure?"

Cassia waved her hand slightly then, and easily casted a powerful Silencing Spell around the two of them. "Severus and I... Given the circumstances, we've got a mind link, due to the blood link we will have at the end of the month," she said. "We can see into the other's mind, and he's informed me that Hogwarts' new professor is not to be trusted." Her eyes zero-ed in on the turban he wore. "There's Dark Magic in there," she whispered to Kingsley with a shudder as she nodded towards it, "but one can hardly demand someone to take it off, or yank it off him. Such things are still considered rude."

"Did Severus tell you that, then?"

"He didn't have to," Cassia replied with a grim smile. "I can feel it from here, due to him feeling it himself."

Kingsley modified their Silencing Charm a moment later to a ward, preventing everyone who wasn't a professor or staff member—or Albus, of course—from seeing the two of them. Cassia watched as Albus came in via the door behind the teacher's dais, just before the second-years and above filed into the Great Hall. She recognized Fred and George, Percy, and Katie Bell at the Gryffindor table immediately, and was amazed at how much the four of them had grown up over the course of the summer. She made a mental note to ask Minerva to pull Katie aside to see her later that evening.

A few moments later, Minerva herself ushered in the gaggle of first-years; Cassia recognized Ron towards the front of the bunch, and smirked at the notion that he'd gotten just a bit taller in preparation for his first-year. Standing beside him was a bespectacled young boy with black hair and green eyes, and immediately noticed that Severus couldn't take his eyes off him once he came close to the Sorting Hat.

"That's him, isn't it?" Cassia whispered, nodding towards the boy that Minister Fudge had been going on about for weeks. "Harry Potter?"

"Yes," Kingsley confirmed. "No wonder your Severus is looking at him."

"What?" Cassia asked, flushing slightly. "He's not my... Why would he be looking at him?" she whispered to him.

Kingsley turned and regarded Cassia in confusion. "Didn't he tell you? Harry is the only child of Lily Evans, the love of his life, and his sworn enemy, James Potter."

Cassia swallowed then, feeling as if a knife had been surreptitiously planted in her heart, and it had suddenly twisted around it. She raised her eyes, finding Severus's as soon as he dropped the gaze of the boy, and caught her pain, stiffened, and looked away.

"When I call your name, you will come forth, I shall place the sorting hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses," Minerva said, by this time holding a long roll of parchment before her. "Abbot, Hannah."

"Hufflepuff!"

Minerva nodded and continued, going through the names, not with breakneck speed, but not so long that they would be there all evening. "Granger, Hermione," she said a few moments later, and a bushy haired girl stepped forward.

Cassia immediately detected a strong magical core, although this one seemed a trifle lonely, leading her to believe that she came from a No-Maj family. "She's a Muggleborn, isn't she, Kingsley?" she asked.

Kingsley nodded. "Very good, Cassia."

"Gryffindor!" called the hat, as it had done for her a year previously.

"Malfoy, Draco," said Minerva a few minutes after Hermione, and a young boy with blond hair and a sense of entitlement came forwards, and Cassia immediately took him for a Pure-Blood, right down to the expensive cut of his robes.

"Pure-Blood," Cassia said, all-too-familiar with that look.

"Slytherin!" the hat shouted, before it even touched Draco's head.

"Yes," Kingsley replied, gritting his teeth as Draco made his way to the Slytherin table, near where the two of them stood. "His father, Lucius, works at the ministry with us. I take it you've seen him before?"

"Hair down his back, same color as his son's, with a rather frightening sense of fashion, and a cane that he uses to kick around that house-elf of his?" Cassia said, practically spitting with rage at the image. "Yeah. I've seen him."

"Potter, Harry," said Minerva at long last, and Cassia took note of Albus sitting a bit forward in his throne-like seat.

"Well, I know Potter's a Half-Blood," Cassia said.

Kingsley nodded. "That he is. Although Albus believes that, Half-Blood or not, he holds the key to saving us all."

"What do you...?" Cassia cut her voice off then, and strengthened her ability to listen as the hat whispered in Harry's ear.

"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin," the boy begged, and Cassia raised her eyebrows.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You could be great, you know. Its all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness! There's no doubt about that! No?" the hat asked, leaning down further to catch the boy's words.

"Not Slytherin!" the boy pleaded. "Anything but Slytherin!"

"Well, if you're sure," the hat said, "better be... Gryffindor!"

The whole of the Gryffindor table erupted into applause; even Minerva and Albus looked happy for the turn of events, and Filius seemed downright pleased with the situation. However, Cassia caught the look that Severus gave, and it was very nearly the same one he'd given when she'd been put into Gryffindor the year before.

She shook her head, and turned to Kingsley. "This won't end well."

Kingsley inched his head down towards her. "How do you figure?"

"Not only is he a physical reminder about Lily and James, Kingsley, but he's also been sorted into the one house he hates," Cassia said simply.

Kingsley shrugged. "He can't hate it as much as you think."

Cassia scoffed, leaning against the wall, but making sure to keep their wards strong around the two of them. "Yeah? How so?"

"He felt something for you, didn't he?" Kingsley asked.

Cassia sighed, feeling a lump emerging in her throat, before Kingsley led them to the main doors out, whereupon he took them into the kitchens for supper.

. . .

Cassia and Kingsley sat at one of the offered tables in the Hogwarts kitchens, with many house-elves running around them, clearing up the mess from the welcoming feast. Cassia watched as Kingsley tucked in to his pastrami on marble rye, complete with chips and pumpkin juice, while she was made to eat roasted chicken with scalloped potatoes, a Caesar salad, a pot of tea, and some specially made Cauldron Cakes.

"The elves seem to like you," Kingsley said softly.

Cassia smiled. "Well, I like them, too," she replied with a shrug. "They've always been so kind to me, that it's terribly easy to return their kindness."

Kingsley watched for a moment as Cassia took a bite of her chicken. "You've sent your Patronus to Minerva to fetch young Miss Bell?"

"Yes, while you spoke to Filius," she confirmed, and Kingsley nodded. "I was quite close to her after I joined the exchange program last year," she went on with a smile. "The girl became quite like a little sister to me; I grew up with brothers, as you know, so it was pleasant to have such a sweet girl look up to me."

"Cassia!" cried Katie a moment later, darting in through the entrance of the kitchens, and Minerva looked on indulgently as Cassia caught her up into her arms. "It's been ages! The letters haven't been enough. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Katie," she said, smiling as Katie took in her Auror uniform, and took it off, placing it around her shoulders. "See how you like it," she said, clipping it into place and nodded to herself. "Wonderful, Katie. You can hold onto that while we visit for a while, if you like," she told her.

"Can I really?" the girl breathed, gently running her hands along the flannel. "Did you cast your charm on it to make it appear like wool?" she asked.

Cassia grinned, pleased that Katie remembered. "I did, actually. Kingsley was very impressed with it. By the way, Katie, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt. He's training me for my first-year, now that I'm officially an Auror."

Kingsley extended his brown hand across the table to shake Katie's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bell. Cassia has told me all about you."

Katie grinned and shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shacklebolt. Did Cassia mention that I'm going to try out for the Quidditch team?"

"She mentioned that you liked the sport, but not that you intended on playing the game while at school here," Kingsley replied as Minerva slipped beside him at the table. "What position are you hoping for?"

"Chaser," Katie said with a grin. "Looks too fun to be left out." She sensed that Minerva wanted to say something to Kingsley, so she turned back to Cassia with an eager smile. "How are my future godchildren?" she asked.

Cassia, who had returned to her chicken, very nearly choked on the piece but somehow managed to swallow it down. "Amara is well," she said, knowing that it sounded lame.

"Not Amara," Katie said, rolling her eyes with a giggle. "I mean the twins. You've only got a few more weeks left, haven't you, until they're born?"

Cassia flushed red then, seeing that Minerva looked gob smacked from the corner of her eye, for, given the strength of her Disillusionment Charms, Cassia didn't look pregnant at all. Although Cassia did not feel betrayed at Katie revealing this piece of information in front of Minerva, given that she was only twelve and hadn't been told to keep it quiet per se... "Katie, you know very well that I've told you..."

"Miss Serbus," said a cool voice from the doorway of the kitchens, and Cassia looked up then, going white as she spotted Severus.

"Yes, sir?" she asked then, forcing the fear from her voice. God, what did the potions master want with her now, after everything...?!

"It seems that, in their eagerness to explore their Head of Houses classroom, some of my new first-years have taken it upon themselves to wreck it," Severus went on, his tone still cool. "As you were more than proficient at potions whilst a student here, I can think of no one better than you to help me in the lab."

Cassia nodded, making an effort to finish her supper quickly before she got to her feet, patting Katie's cheek after the girl returned her Auror robes to her. "I shan't be long, Kingsley," she told him, and her superior nodded, as she did her best not to rest her eyes on Minerva for a moment before following Severus out of the kitchens and towards the dungeons. The lump made no effort to leave her throat as they walked, the temperature around them dropping considerably as they wanted into the potions classroom and Severus shut and warded the door behind them, and Cassia saw no signs of a mess, but... "Severus, I'm sorry about all of—"

Severus held up a hand, before pointing his wand at her. "Finite," he said then, and Cassia visibly relaxed, although she put protective hands along her stomach. "Oh, my," Severus whispered as he stepped forward, touching her stomach with gentle hands, and Cassia trembled at all the things his touch did to her.

"How are you finding the manor?"

"Well, once I tidied it up appropriately, it is...a...home," she managed to get out, her knees turning to jelly at the sensation of his hands upon her.

"Any luck in finding a house-elf yet?" he wanted to know, continuing to touch her, and Cassia swallowed at the contact.

"N-no," she stammered, shaking her head. "Not as of yet..."

"And being an Auror? How do you like it?"

"I managed to pass through the training pregnant with twins, Severus," she whispered, and Severus's eyes caught hers. "If I am able to accomplish that, then, perhaps, when the war returns, I will be able to accomplish much more."

"You... You have foreseen it?"

"Just that it will return—_he_ will return—and there will be a bloody battle to end all battles, once that day comes..." She hesitated for a moment. "I noticed you looking at Harry Potter during the Sorting Ceremony. Minister Fudge... Well, he's ensured that young Harry is the talk of the ministry these last few weeks..."

Severus stiffened. "We need not discuss him."

"No?" Cassia asked, confused. "Why do you hate him so much? Is it because he is a reminder of her? Of Lily?"

Severus clenched his teeth. "Cassia..."

"What?" she whispered, a lump rising in her throat again. "All I want to do is understand what is going on here, Severus. Since Christmas, things have been awkward and very confusing between the two of us. And now... Now, we've got two children on the way, and I am afraid that we'll never be a family..."

"Perhaps not in the typical sense, no."

Cassia nodded, lowering her eyes. "I know she was beautiful," she said softly. "Lily. And I know that, in comparison, especially to one's first love, that a second choice—in magic, beauty, and the history you have with her—that it's difficult to see me in the same regard that you held her in, but..."

Severus tilted her chin up, and Cassia met his eyes without hesitation, and he slowly dragged the pad of his thumb across her lips. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look?" he whispered to her.

Cassia shook her head at him. "I... I'm not..."

"You're exquisite," Severus assured her, running his free hand along her swollen stomach.

Cassia swallowed then, but nevertheless allowed her arms to be guided around his neck, and for his lips to capture hers. A gasp escaped her throat then when he slammed her up against the wall, devouring her mouth, and a moan followed suit not a moment later. "Please," she whispered then as Severus held her close. "Don't..."

Severus pulled away from her then. "What?"

Cassia felt her eyes brimming with tears then as her voice shook. "I cannot bear it, Severus. I know you will not love me as you love her. But what you need to understand is how much I truly love you. The notion that my heart is literally on my sleeve, and pumping two or three times its normal rate whenever you're around..." She shook her head. "I have my position at the ministry, plus our children, to consider now. It is not just me anymore," she told him, her voice firm. "I was not loved—or very well-liked, for that matter—by my own family. I threw myself into the arms of a man who would never, could never, love me, because I believed that was what I deserved, as it had been spoon-fed to me for years. I cannot allow myself to live this way any longer, Severus, for I do deserved to be loved, as you do. However, I don't think that you can bring yourself to love me, for you will see it as a disloyalty to Lily. I am so sorry she left you, Severus, I really am, but she did not love you in the way you love her. I know how that feels, and I would never wish that pain on anyone," she said, and her voice broke. She dashed the tears from her eyes and stepped away from him then, although her feet felt like lead. "I must return to my supervisor now, as we've all got jobs to do." She hesitated, putting her hand upon the handle of the door. "I shall let you know when the children are born," she said, some of her resolve returning to her then. "And I should also let you know," she said, peeking over her shoulder at him then, "that Albus, Minerva, Katie Bell, and some of my ministry friends know about my pregnancy. Albus and Tonks, of course, know for sure that you are the father, but, hopefully, I've managed to keep your identity a secret from others." She sighed, and turned to face him again with a slight shake of her head. "I never wanted this life, Severus. I wanted a husband and a large family and a wonderful career. I'm not meant to do things by halves but, it seems, that my Blood Status decided that for me... Goodnight, Severus," she said, forcing the pleasantry to slip from her lips before she walked out of the potions classroom, and back towards the Hogwarts kitchens, hoping that Minerva wouldn't want an explanation.

. . .

Cassia cursed herself for not hiring a house-elf by the time she went into labor at the end of the month, but resolved to make the best of it. Tonks came, along with Molly, and the two strong women around her helped in guiding her through the trauma of the birth. She was in such pain, but given Tonks's jokes about the entire thing and Molly's motherly nature and natural abilities for household spells, she felt as if she was in good hands.

"Christ!" Cassia screamed amid the hours of labor; Molly had told her that she was losing a lot of blood, so Tonks had been sent to fetch blood replenishers at St. Mungo's. "God! Molly!" she whimpered, clutching the kind witch's hand. "It hurts, Molly!"

Molly pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know it does, love. But it is all right. I had twins as well, if you remember, and I came through it."

Cassia sighed. "But, you must've been somewhat used to it, given that you'd had three children before Fred and George," she managed to say.

"Not very. Most babies weigh more, the more you have," Molly explained. "You attempt to shove ten pounds—_each_!—of boy out of your—"

"I'm back!" Tonks sang as she stepped inside, brandishing the blood replenishers, which she tossed to Molly, before taking Cassia's hand again.

"Fuck!" Cassia screamed again. "Molly... Molly, I think...!"

"Let me check, then," Molly said, rolling up her sleeves and examining Cassia. "Yes, my dear, it is happening. Our first baby is coming now," she said, conjuring a stool from a chair and summoned it to the base of the bed, before sitting upon it. She Accio'd a linen to gather the baby in, once it had arrived, and, quite soon, had a squalling bundle in her arms as Cassia threw herself back onto the pillows behind her.

"Tonks," Molly said, cleaning the child and linen, before handing them over. "It's a boy, Cassia," Molly went on then, smiling brightly as Tonks stepped forward to show Cassia the screaming red bundle, which had a mop of golden-brown hair on his head.

Cassia bit her lip then at the beautiful child in Tonks's arms, and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead as every emotion flowed through her. "Sebastian," she whispered, her voice trembling as she looked him over. "Sebastian Charles, because I like the name, and for Charlie. God, he's so perfect..."

Molly smiled indulgently as Tonks calmed the infant, taking him across the room towards a rocking chair by the window, rocking him so that his cries ceased and he slept. "Come on now, Cassia," Molly said, taking Cassia back down to earth. "You've got one more baby. Let's have ourselves another push, yeah? Think you can do that for me, so we can get your other baby out into the world?"

"Yes," Cassia managed to get out, nodding her head, as she gripped the sheets around her and gritted her teeth. She let go of the sheets after a moment, taking a blood replenisher to get her through the birth of her second child. "Shit!" she yelled then, arching her back, her toes spreading in her moment of pain. "Oh, lord... Molly, please tell me that all of this will be over soon?" she begged her.

"It could be any time, my dear," Molly said, stroking her legs. She summoned a Wiggenweld Potion, which she urged Cassia to drink. "That'll bring down your pain considerably, giving you more room to focus entirely on the birth."

Cassia nodded, gulping down the potion and leaning back, staring up at the ceiling, her heart heavy in her throat. "I wish he could've been here," she whispered, her vision muddling with tears again. "I wish it was safe..."

"Severus would have been here if he could, love," Molly whispered, and Cassia sat bolt upright in bed then, only to find Molly smiling at her. "Darling, I'm not blind. You light up—especially your magic—whenever he's around, or is mentioned. And besides, you're living in his ancestral home, which he gave you."

Cassia stammered. "I... He doesn't want..."

"I know that Severus is a private person," Molly said gently. "Don't worry. Arthur and I won't be saying anything."

Cassia reached out then and took Molly's hands. "You always said that you would have room for more than just seven children. Does that offer still apply?"

Molly squeezed Cassia's hand. "Always."

"Thank you," Cassia whispered. "Then I am proud to call you my mother. My surrogate mother, what have you."

Molly patted Cassia's hand. "Whatever you want is fine, love." She lowered her eyes again and smiled. "Ah. It seems that, due to the blood replenishers, plus the Wiggenweld Potion, and your ability to relax, that the next baby is coming."

"Dammit—so _that_'_s_ what that is!" Cassia cried out then, arching her back, letting a scream pass through her lips, as she felt something come out of her, watching as Molly made a grab for another linen, using a cleaning spell to wrap up the squalling mite, before summoning Tonks back across the room with little Sebastian.

"It's a girl," Molly said in an enthusiastic whisper, and Cassia let out a relieved sigh when she saw how healthy and perfect her children looked.

"Circe Elisabetta," she whispered, holding her daughter close, naming her for the Goddess of Magic, as well as for her grandmother, the first person who had shown her unconditional love, and who had granted her with time.

Circe had a generous crop of black hair on her head, and, as Cassia pressed a kiss on her daughter's forehead, the infant, seeming to understand, ceased to cry. Cassia brought her twins close then, feeding them both for the first time, and Tonks conjured a blanket to cover Cassia with to preserve her modesty. She raised her eyes to both Molly and Tonks then, and felt relief throughout her entire body.

"Molly, I would be proud to call you my children's grandmother."

Molly smiled. "I'd be honored. I know Arthur shall be as well."

"And Tonks," Cassia said, turning to her, "you will be godmother, won't you?"

"Always," Tonks assured her.

"Charlie's agreed to be godfather," Cassia said with a relieved smile. "And Hagrid has agreed to be the other. I've also selected Katie as the second godmother... I shall send them all owls as soon as my strength has returned."

Molly nodded. "Of course, dear. Charlie and Hagrid will be so pleased."

"And Katie," Tonks put in. "I know she was very excited."

"Will you let Severus know, then?" Molly asked, and Tonks looked at Molly for a moment before turning back to Cassia.

"Of course," Cassia replied, looking down at Sebastian and Circe, a smile coming automatically to her lips, one that she could not vanish. "He is, after all, their father. What kind of mother would I be if I forbade him information about our children?"


	7. A Semblance of Family

"You celebrating Thanksgiving?" Tonks asked, standing on the stool in her cubicle and peering over at Cassia in hers.

"Of course," Cassia confirmed with a nod; she was still supposed to be on maternity leave, but she absolutely had to finish this important paperwork, and Molly had agreed to take the twins for the afternoon. "I want to establish traditions with Seb and Cici, and even though they can't partake in the meal aspect, I think the celebrations will be enough for the little lumps that they are," she joked.

"Mum and Dad want to invite you over, if you're amenable to it," Tonks said with a grin. "The Fire-Calls just aren't cutting it anymore. They want to meet you officially."

Cassia nodded. "I'd love to. I've already accepted Molly and Arthur's Christmas invitation to the Burrow, but I've no plans for Thanksgiving."

"Great!" Tonks said, a little too loudly, which got them stern looks from both Kingsley and Moody, who were whispering across the room. Tonks hopped down from the stool and walked around the walls of the separated cubicles and stood in front of Cassia. "Mum'll be so excited to see you! And Dad loves kids. They couldn't have any more, after me, so don't take it too personally if Dad just takes them once you arrive."

Cassia chuckled. "Your dad is a nice person," she said. "And I know that people are extremely protective of their children, but I trust your dad. You're his daughter, after all."

Cassia arrived at the Tonks household with her children in tow and, true to Tonks's word, Ted Tonks promptly took them off her hands. Cassia was amazed at how quickly the Tonks patriarch calmed the two squalling mites, and made her way into the kitchen, where she accepted a long-overdue embrace from Andromeda. "Pleasure to meet you outside the flames, Mrs. Tonks," she said warmly to her.

Andromeda held Cassia close and kissed her on the cheek. "None of that, my dear, none of that, it is Andromeda, of course."

Cassia smiled at her host and waved to Tonks, who was mashing potatoes with her wand and the potato masher in the pot before the stove, and stuck her nose into the air. "That turkey really smells delicious!"

"Old recipe from the House of Black," Andromeda replied with a smile. "I suspect my sister has instructed her house-elves to make the same one today."

"You have another sister?" Cassia asked, giving Andromeda a small smile, for Cassia had known about Bellatrix, locked away in Azkaban, since her arrival in Europe.

"Yes, my younger sister, Narcissa. I am the middle child, and the only one in the family to be run out of it because of my 'disgrace' of marrying Ted," she said, shaking her head. She straightened her dark brown hair for a moment, a hint of sadness in her eyes, before turning to look at Cassia once again. "Did my daughter mention that I was a Slytherin?"

Cassia shook her head. "No, she didn't. But I hardly see why that matters, given that other Slytherins are wonderful people at heart."

Andromeda smiled. "Yes, that's very true," she said. "My little sister, Narcissa, married into the Malfoy family. Draco, her son, began at Hogwarts this year."

"Cassia was paired up with Kingsley for her first official Auror assignment, Mum," Tonks informed Andromeda quickly. "They were overseeing the sorting ceremony this year, so she would have seen Draco's."

"Slytherin," Cassia said, sighing. "I could sense his Pure-Blood status from a mile away, and he reeked of a sense of entitlement."

Andromeda shook her head. "That would've come from Lucius, my brother-in-law," she said with a shudder. "I never liked the man."

"Glad to know that you're one of the lucky few who managed to escape their roots filled with negativity and sadness, to create a wonderful life for yourself," Cassia told her.

Andromeda's eyes were kind as she looked Cassia over. "Nymphodora mentioned that you came from a difficult family situation as well, dear."

"_Don_'_t_ call me Nymphodora," Tonks said from across the room, her magic spiraling, and the potato masher beginning to stir instead of mash.

"Finite!" Cassia said, lifting her hand, and the masher stopped moving. "Yes, to answer your statement, Andromeda, that is true. My mother was from an old wizarding Pure-Blood family in America—the Romano family."

"Oh, yes, I know them well," Andromeda said with a shudder. "I mean no offense, my dear, but some of their world-views are, quite frankly, a bit backward."

Cassia laughed aloud. "No offense taken, Andromeda. I didn't believe their views either. My grandfather, the head of the family, attempted to give me away in marriage upon my graduation from Ilvermorny to one of his loyal followers."

Andromeda crossed her arms. "I take it that meant a Pure-Blood marriage for you, then?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. As my father is a No-Maj, I likely wouldn't have survived much better in the marriage than I did in my own family. All I would be deemed good for was providing children to continue the family line. Of course, I wanted children, but I didn't want them to be used for what they perceived to be the greater good."

"They cut you off, then?"

Cassia gritted her teeth. "Not in so many words, and not at first." She rolled back the sleeves of the autumn-pattered dress she had worn for the day, showing off the scars that ended on the base of her wrists and began at the back of her hands. "This was the final punishment dealt to me, when I refused the engagement."

Andromeda advanced forward then, her gaze fierce as she made a grab for Cassia's arms, and inspected the stars, her magical fury bubbling off of her, just like Molly's had done. "I'd know these marks anywhere," she said, her voice thick with anger. "My deranged sister, Bellatrix, who got herself locked away in Azkaban, tortured two Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom, into madness using the Cruciatus Curse, all because she wanted information from them, but they refused to give it up." She hesitated for a moment. "Their son, Neville, started at Hogwarts this year. I believe he was in Gryffindor."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I remember the same. Sweet-looking boy, if I remember correctly." She gently pried her hands from Andromeda's firm grip. "It's not as bad as it sounds, really. My magic protected me, in the end."

Andromeda blinked. "How?"

"The curse rebounded," she said simply, remembering the flash of light that had once been around her, and then counterattacked by flowing towards her grandfather. "It flew onto my grandfather when my magical core got enough strength to resist it. It caused my grandfather such intense pain that he can no longer walk."

Andromeda looked horrified. "How old were you?"

"Sixteen," Cassia said. "It was during the Christmas holidays of my fifth-year at Ilvermorny. I had just refused the engagement, and so my grandfather believed that using an Unforgivable Curse against me would sway me to his way of thinking."

"But, you've found a way out..."

Cassia smiled with a nod. "Yes, thankfully. The International Student Exchange Program was a god-send, literally. I didn't even know I would be considered a candidate, but it came to me at the right moment in time. It would have been seen as a tarnish on my family's reputation if they refused me admittance, and once I got here, I vowed to work as hard as I could so as I could get a job opportunity. Once that was on the books, I had no excuse to return home, and now, for the time being, I am safe."

Andromeda's brown brows came together then. "There is just one thing that I don't understand here, Cassia."

Cassia blinked. "Yes?"

"What you're describing to me—of the Cruciatus Curse rebounding because of your magical core wanting to protect yourself—it is most advanced magic."

"Mum, I've told you, Cassia always read ahead."

Cassia nodded at Tonks. "That's right."

Andromeda looked her over then. "I think there is more to it than that. You say that your father is a No-Maj, or a Muggle?"

"Yes, that's right."

Andromeda shook her head. "I'm sorry, my dear. But I think that, based on the magic that Tonks has told me that you've performed, plus your reports from the ministry, and what you've just told me about your interaction with your grandfather... I think it's extremely rare for a Half-Blood to access that much power."

Cassia shook her head. "What are you saying here?"

"I'm saying that either your father had his magic taken from him, which is plausible, or that he may not be your father at all, and that your father was a wizard."

Cassia sighed, and rolled her shoulders. "Well, he was always more of a parent to me than my mother ever was. I never cared much for Blood Status anyway. And now that I've begun my new life, I don't care to know who my biological father is, if it's not Johnathan Serbus, because he sure as hell didn't give a damn about me in the first place."

Andromeda smiled. "Now I see why they put your into Gryffindor."

Cassia laughed. "Professor Snape wanted me in Slytherin," she said with a shrug. "But, then again, the Sorting Hat works in mysterious ways."

. . .

Cassia Apparated with the twins in her arms onto the snowy banks of the moors which surrounded the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole, and made her way towards the front door, the Warming Charm on her boots ensuring that no snow got into them. The wards accepted her immediately as she passed through them and came through the open door, and Cassia immediately saw Molly bustling around, preparing everything necessary for Christmas dinner the following evening. Arthur got up to greet Cassia as soon as she came inside, kissing her on the cheek and taking the twins from her.

"Well, now, the two of you have certainly gotten bigger, haven't you?" he asked of them, and Cassia was pleased that they seemed so at ease with him.

"Cassia!" Ginny cried out, darting forward and taking her by the hand as Cassia shut the door behind her. "Come and sit with me!"

Cassia smiled and moved into the living room to sit with Ginny. "Got to admit, I was surprised about the invitation still being on," she said, sitting beside Ginny, who immediately wrapped her arms around her and put her head on her shoulder. "I thought you were taking this one to Romania?" Cassia asked Arthur, and pointed to Ginny.

"Charlie wanted to meet his godchildren and we couldn't say no," Arthur said with a smile. "But this time you'll be able to meet Bill officially."

"Mum and I spent all week making you a room with the twins," Ginny said, perking up then and smiling at Cassia. "I said that I wanted you to sleep with me, but Mum said that the twins, given their young age, will likely be up several times during the night."

Cassia nodded. "That's true, Ginny, they're still very young. But, if your father is up for sharing, I will task you with being my assistant while I'm here. You can help me in looking after them, if you like. And Amara, of course."

Ginny looked around. "Amara? Where'd she go?"

Cassia grinned and unbuttoned her winter cloak, revealing Amara, who was wrapped in a protective manner around her mistress's neck. "Come now, don't be like that, little one," she said, coaxing the animal from her place and handing her over to an eager Ginny. "Your mum told me how much you enjoy cats, and I thought that Amara would love to keep you company while I'm here."

"That's very generous of you, Cassia," Arthur told her with a smile.

"It's not an imposition in the slightest, Arthur," Cassia assured him, banishing her cloak towards the rack by the front door, and transfigured her shoes into something more appropriate to walk around the house in. "Amara needs to be socialized more. Tonks is over several times a week, and that helps, but I feel as if young Ginny would have a far more gentler touch."

Ginny cooed at Amara, and the half-Kneazle inspected the girl for a moment before she yawned, stretched, and fell asleep in her lap. Ginny grinned at the sight and proceeded to stroke her. "She is so soft, Cassia," the girl said quietly.

"Cassia, dear," Molly said, bustling into the living room with a heavily-laden tea tray, and kissed Cassia on the forehead before setting the tray down on the coffee table. She turned around then, with a mild, "Honestly, Arthur," and took Circe from her husband's arms, and moved to sit in the armchair beside his. "How was the Apparition?"

"Not too terrible," Cassia assured her as she summoned two mugs of tea, one of which she handed over to Ginny. "I gave the twins a Calming Draught before the journey to ensure that neither of them panicked. St. Mungo's is recommending such things now for parents who have to take their young children with them great distances. Of course, they tell you to stop once the child is old enough to keep calm for themselves."

Molly nodded, stirring a lump of sugar into her tea wandlessly, as her hands were occupied with rocking Circe. "It is a good suggestion," she said softly.

"Last thing wizarding folk wand is the possibility of their children getting splinched," Arthur said in a somber tone.

"Arthur!" Molly cried out.

"Mummy, what's that mean?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Molly, may I?" Cassia asked, her tone gentle, and Molly waved her assent, and Cassia turned to look at Ginny. "It means, simply, that if a witch or wizard doesn't Apparate successfully, then they could leave something behind."

Ginny blinked, stroking Amara with one hand and holding her teacup with the other. "You mean, like their clothes?"

"In a more pleasant version of it, yes," Cassia replied. "Unfortunately, some magical people who do so poorly—if they're in a hurry to get somewhere, or are on the run from something—they could accidentally leave some of them_selves_ behind."

Ginny's eyes widened at that. "Their skin, you mean?"

Cassia swallowed. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Merlin," Ginny whispered. "That's terrible."

Cassia reached out then and clasped Ginny's hand. "That's why you study Apparition in school, young lady, because the ministry has put preventative measures in place to ensure that the next generation of wizard kind knows how to perform the task appropriately, which means that splinch rates have gone down drastically."

Ginny smiled. "Well, that's a relief," she replied.

There was a tap on the front window then, just beyond the massive Christmas tree, and each person in the living room turned to look, with Amara awaking from her nap with an annoyed expression on her face. "Ah, that appears to be Errol with the mail," Arthur said, giving a disdainful expression to the sad-looking gray owl outside.

"Here, let me," Cassia said, levitating her teacup back onto the table, and crossing towards the window, unlocking it quickly. "Hello, there," she said softly to the creature so as not to potentially scare it. "You must be Errol."

The owl screeched softly at her, and lowered his head, permitting Cassia to gently run her hands along his feathers.

"I know I'm not a member of the Weasley family..."

"In name only!" Molly called out from behind her, and Cassia quickly shot her a smile.

"...but, if you'd let me, may I have the mail and give it to them?" she asked, and smiled at the owl when he extended his leg towards her. "Thank you, my little friend. Why don't you come inside?" she asked him. "I'm sure you know where the owl tidbits are."

Errol nodded his head, permitting Cassia to untie the small bundle upon his talon, and flew in towards the kitchen, leaving Cassia to lock up the window behind her.

She walked back in to the middle of the living room, pulling the string off the letters, which sent them to whomever they were sent to. Cassia burned the tie away until it was nothingness, and was surprised to find that there was a letter addressed to her, poking rather incessantly at her outstretched hand. "Seems to be for me," Cassia said, and Ginny, who had a letter of her own from Ron, peered over her shoulder to see who had sent Cassia a letter.

"This letter seems to be from Charlie," Molly went on then, opening up her letter wandlessly as it hovered before her, and Arthur inclined his head, likely wanting news of his second son. "Ah, how wonderful. Arthur, dear, Charlie says he's meeting Bill at Gringotts, and then they'll be here shortly. How lovely. Ginny, don't be rude," Molly went on, looking up to see Ginny peering at the letter that Cassia held, and Ginny lowered her eyes back to her own piece of mail, her face turning as red as her hair.

Cassia squeezed Ginny's arm for a moment before she turned back to her letter, opening it quickly and gazing at its contents.

_I was most appreciating for the updates on S and C. They are beautiful children, and I am thankful to have them all in our lives. I hope to come to the manor for a visit soon, and I will let you know when I can get away from my duties. I am pleased to know that A is doing well and adjusting to her new home. Expect my Christmas gift to arrive in due time, but not until you return from your visit to the Burrow. Please thank Molly and Arthur for me for keeping you, A, S, and C safe, and I am forever in her debt._

_S._

"Is everything all right, dear?" Molly asked as Cassia folded up her letter and pocketed it. "You look a bit weary."

Cassia smiled at her. "No, I'm all right, thank you. It was from him," she said, and Molly and Arthur quickly took on understanding poses. "He wants to thank you for having me and the children here for the holidays."

"While it is kind of him to say so, Cassia, you need not thank us, nor him," Arthur told her with a smile on his face. "You are Charlie's dearest friend, which makes you part of the Weasley brood, and, like my wife said, we will always have room for more than seven."

"Does this mean what I think it does?" Ginny breathed, catching ahold of Cassia, and Cassia felt a momentary tremor flow through her then—she saw the youngest Weasley lying on a cold stone floor somewhere, appearing to be dead to the world, was the voices of two young men around her, and couldn't make out what either was saying, before Ginny's continued question pulled her out of the vision. "Does this mean that Cassia is my sister?"

Molly chuckled as Cassia quickly plastered a smile onto her face. "Well, that is only if Cassia wishes to be our unofficial second daughter," she told her daughter.

"It is all up to you, my dear," Arthur told her.

Cassia smiled, putting an arm around Ginny's shoulders and smiling at Molly and Arthur. "I would be honored," she replied.

Ginny sighed in relief, leaning into Cassia. "I've always wanted a sister," she said softly, as she snuggled closer to Cassia.

Cassia chuckled, squeezing Ginny's shoulder gently. "You'll have a great many sisters one day, Ginny, when your brothers get married."

There was a bang from the fireplace then and, a moment later, Bill and Charlie came through together, with triumphant smiles on their faces at being home. "Hey, Mum, Dad," Bill said, and promptly went over to greet his parents while Charlie hung back, clearly a bit exhausted. "Oh, and these must be Sebastian and Circe. They're beautiful, Cassia—great to meet you, by the way," Bill said, tossing a smile Cassia's way.

"Pleasure to meet you, too, Bill," Cassia replied, accepting Bill's handshake once he came to stand before the couch.

"Ginny, how's my little sister?" Bill asked, tousling her mane.

Ginny yanked herself backwards then, affixing her oldest brother with a glare. "I'll be eleven next summer, thank you very much, William," she replied primly, and Cassia immediately put her hand to her mouth in amusement.

Charlie took this opportunity to cross the room and playfully knock Bill out of the way, whereupon he grabbed ahold of Cassia's arm and took her into his arms, swinging her around to the point where Cassia laughed. "Cassia! I've arrived!" he shouted.

"All right, Charlie! That's enough!" she said, her hair escaping from where it had been tucked beneath her scarf and coming loose, shimmers of brown, gold, and red illuminating from her as her magic came to the top of her skin, glowing fiercely in a moment of happiness, and registering it to her surrogate family.

Ginny looked up then, amused with the situation. "Perhaps if you married Charlie, Cassia, you could be a proper member of the family."

Charlie huffed then as Cassia shook her head, the wizard putting down the witch and regarding his little sister. "Gin, we discussed this. Cassia and I aren't each other's type. Bill, on the other hand, has been talking non-stop about how pretty he thinks you are, Cassia, and about how much he wants to meet you..."

Bill flushed red, and Molly fixed Charlie with a look. "Well, er, not that that's not true, Cassia, but I hardly think that now is an appropriate time to..."

Cassia smiled, gently patting Bill on the shoulder. "It's all right, Bill. I'm not your type either, as far as I've seen."

Bill blinked. "Charlie mentioned that you're a Seer, but that it was mainly the past. Are you seeing future stuff now?"

"Now and again," Cassia confirmed. "I've seen your wife. I don't know her name, but she's beautiful—blonde, a witch, and she's got an accent. Oh," Cassia went on, seeing the goddess in her mind's eye, and smiled. "She's part-Veela."

"So, she didn't go to Hogwarts with me, then?" Bill asked.

Cassia shook her head. "No. The uniforms are blue, and come with the most delightful little hats I've ever seen!"

"That would be Beauxbatons Academy of Magic," Molly confirmed, shifting Circe to her other arm. "They're the French wizarding school."

"Blimey, Bill," Charlie said, clapping his brother on the back, "a French, part-Veela witch. Wait until the twins hear about this one..."

Bill rolled his eyes. "So, Cassia, if I'm not your type, what is?"

Cassia coughed slightly then, and swallowed, knowing that she would have to come up with something plausible. "The father of my children," she said with a smile. "He's a brilliant wizard in his own right, but his identity must be kept hidden."

Bill nodded. "Fair enough," he said respectfully, and gave Cassia a friendly hug. "Welcome to the family," he told her.

. . .

Cassia had just put the twins down for a nap in the afternoon of the final day of the year when she heard an almighty pop in the parlor. Perplexed at the sound, she headed down the staircase and went into the room, eyebrows raised at the sight before her. "Hello," she said to the pretty little house-elf before her, smiling. "What's your name?"

"Perry, mistress," came the squeak of a reply. "Master Sevy told me to give this to you, Mistress Cassia."

Cassia smiled, and took the letter. "Thank you, Perry. It's very nice to meet you," she went on, her tone warm as she gently patted the elf's head, and Perry leaned into the touch, her ears wiggling in happiness.

_Cassia—_

_I've been made aware by my sources that you've not yet hired an elf. Rest assured, I have taken the liberty to do so for you. Allow me to present Perry to you. She was just a baby when she was left at Hogwarts, and never seemed quite at home in the kitchens, as she seems to love human contact. As such, I informed her that you were looking for an elf to help with cooking, cleaning, and raising the children, as I know you return to the ministry tomorrow._

_Perry is quite a delight, and for me to admit such a thing, it is quite the miracle. I am sure that the two of you will get along swimmingly, and I hope you are all right with my choice. She favors the color pink, and I trust you will make her feel right at home in Prince Manor. I shall attempt to come soon to see all of you._

_S._

"So, it seems as though my friend Severus has offered your services to me, Perry?" Cassia asked the elf, who nodded.

"Yes, Mistress Cassia," Perry squeaked. "Perry wants very much to serve the Serbus and Snape families. Perry loves children very much."

"That's very good, Perry," Cassia said gently. "Would you mind waiting here a moment, please?" she asked her.

Perry nodded, her ears fluttering. "Perry will wait for Mistress Cassia."

Cassia nodded back at her. "Thank you," she replied.

She walked over to where the massive kitchen was at the back of Prince Manor, and was very aware that a small hutch-looking area was to be where the house-elves slept. Cassia clicked her tongue, banishing the cobwebs and putting an Extension Charm inside the area, putting down a lovely little doll-sized bed, and transfigured lots of fluffy pink things throughout the room, mainly furniture. Upon the brass bedframe, she put quite a few pillows, a pink goose down comforter and cream-colored sheets, along with a white lace canopy. She put insulated carpet onto the floor, and put a weather-induced heating or cooling charm, so as the room would be warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The final thing she put in the room was a wardrobe, in which she transfigured little uniforms for Perry, with a P on them for her name, all in various shades of pink and hemmed with lace. She finally warded the door, so as only she, Severus, and Perry would be able to get in or out, knowing that house-elves must like their privacy.

"Perry, would you join me in the kitchen, please?" she called to the elf.

Perry immediately popped next to Cassia. "Does Mistress Cassia need Perry for something?" she asked, wiggling her ears again, her blue eyes shining.

"I actually wanted to show you to your room, and allow you a bit of time to settle in, then I thought we could discuss what to make for dinner, if that is all right with you."

Perry stared up at Cassia. "Mistress Cassia will be helping Perry?"

Cassia smiled. "Yes. Of course, when I return to work at the Ministry of Magic tomorrow, you will have the run of the house and the children, Perry. On days when I am able to come home early, I will help with the evening meals, plus with cleaning on the weekends."

"Mistress Cassia is a lady of leisure," Perry said firmly to her. "Mistress Cassia must not help Perry with Perry's work."

Cassia knelt down before the elf, and gently took her hand. "I am quite sure that other families with elves treat them differently, and you may have heard some frightening stories. Am I right, Perry?" she asked the elf gently, to which Perry lowered her head.

"Yes," Perry said, her ears going down. "Perry's cousin Dobby works for the Malfoy family, and they treat him badly. Dobby gets death threats five times a day at his master's home."

Cassia swallowed then, feeling sick. "Perry, look at me, please," she told her, and the little elf raised her eyes to hers. "I swear I will never make a death threat to you," the witch told her, and Perry's eyes widened as a golden orb appeared over her new mistress's heart. "I also swear never to push you too far, and to give you ample time to help with the chores around the manor. I also swear to get you treatment if you are ever ill, and to give you time off after a long and drawn-out working period. You will not be my servant, Perry—you are now an official member of my family, and if you are truly content to work, then you may do so. If there is a job that you don't like, or don't wish to do, or don't feel comfortable with, then I will do it, either manually or magically. But I don't want you ever to think that you are lower than me, Perry, because you are not. Granted, you are a house-elf and I am a human, but we both possess magic. I regard you as my equal, Perry, and I hope you will do the same for me."

Perry gasped then as the orb faded away, and shook her head slightly to clear it. "Mistress Cassia has made a vow to Perry!" she squeaked.

Cassia smiled at her, reaching out and squeezing her hand gently. "I did, Perry, and I'll tell you why. Because when I make up my mind about something, I stick to it. Was everything I said all right with you?"

Perry nodded. "Yes, Mistress Cassia."

Cassia smiled, letting go of Perry's hand and patting her head gently. "I'm glad to hear that. Now then, perhaps you would like to see your room?"

Perry nodded. "Yes, Perry would like that, mistress."

Cassia grinned, and spelled open the door of the little hutch. "Feel free to go inside and put in your things, my dear."

Perry hesitantly walked forward, and Cassia's heard thundered in her breast; perhaps Perry had been locked away somewhere at some point, and the thought truly rattled her. "But, Mistress Cassia, this is too much!" Perry squeaked a moment later, as she stood on the threshold of her bedroom and looked around.

Cassia knelt before the hutch; as the doorway remained house-elf sized, she would be unable to fit in without a spell. "Is it all right, though? Severus told me you liked pink."

Perry walked towards the bed and touched it. "The blanket is _soft_!" she cried out then, and suddenly began darting about the room, examining every surface and, when she came to the wardrobe, threw open the doors. "All of this is for Perry?" she squeaked.

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Of course, there are more formal uniforms in the back, for very special occasions like holidays, and your birthday."

Perry slowly turned to face Cassia. "Perry's birthday, mistress?"

Cassia nodded again. "Of course, Perry. When is your birthday?"

Perry blinked. "February twenty-eighth," she said quietly.

"Well, then, you'll have to tell me your favorite foods that night, Perry, and we will have a little family gathering during the evening. I will even invite my dear friend Tonks—she would like you very much—to the house, and we'll have a little sit-down with cake. Do you like cake, Perry, or would you prefer something else?"

Perry looked awestruck. "Perry likes cake, Mistress Cassia."

"What kind of cake, Perry?"

Perry smiled at the thought of her birthday. "Chocolate mousse cake, Mistress Cassia. And Perry likes sandwiches and tea for her meals, except breakfast, and Perry loves porridge for her breakfast, but sometimes Perry likes eggs and sausages..."

Cassia smiled. "I like all those things, too, Perry. We'll eat things other than tea and sandwiches but we'll make it a point to have those around the house a lot. And Perry?"

"Yes, mistress?"

"You must always eat when you are hungry, and drink when you are thirsty—this is your house, too, now, and you mustn't go hungry. You never need to ask permission to eat or drink, or to relieve yourself, as such practices are inhumane. If we run out of a certain food, just put it down on the list that I'll always have on the fridge, or if you want a certain food in the house, don't hesitate to write it down. I will pay you, Perry, for your services, because you are not a servant and should have all of your needs met. On the days when I cannot accompany you to the shops, I will make sure that there is enough money for anything needed. And, please, Perry, above all things, I want you to be happy here."

Perry darted forward then and embraced Cassia's legs. "Mistress Cassia has already made Perry so very happy! Perry will long serve this beautiful house, and Perry loves Mistress Cassia very much for welcoming her!"

Cassia giggled indulgently and patted the elf's head. "Welcome home, Perry," she whispered to her, as Perry burrowed closer to her.

. . .

"How's the flat search coming?" Cassia asked Tonks in the middle of February, about a month and a half after she'd returned to the ministry.

Tonks sighed. "My fool of a mother claims that I can stay home as long as I'd like," she said with a little shrug of her shoulders.

Cassia stabbed the pasta dish she'd ordered for lunch in the little Muggle café they both sat in, not far away from the ministry itself. "What does your dad think?" she asked, twirling the fettuccine on her fork, somehow managing to get a piece of chicken lodged in there, before popping the bite into her mouth.

Tonks pursed her lips as she set down the fork on the edge of her Niçoise salad. "Dad says I can stay home if I want to."

Cassia nodded. "But you don't want to?" she guessed.

Tonks shook her head, picking up her fork again and stabbing a particularly evasive lettuce leaf with a piece of hard-boiled egg before chewing on it. "No. I want my own space. But the flats I keep finding have Muggles around, and I'm far too clumsy for my own good not to let something slip."

Cassia smiled, leaning across the table and gently squeezing Tonks's wrist. "You're better than that, and you know it."

Tonks pursed her lips with a little shrug. "I don't know. I'm just worried that I'll do or say the wrong thing, end up fired, get my wand broken, and have my magic taken away."

"You won't," Cassia assured her. "Actually, does it have to be a flat?"

Tonks sighed. "I've looked at little houses that are on the Floo Network as well, but none of them are in my price range," she confessed.

"Well, why not a manor?"

"A manor?!" Tonks demanded with a snort, her nose turning into a pig snout for a moment, just summoning it back before anyone else saw it. "Cassia, you crazy?! There's no way in Merlin I'd be able to afford a manor!"

Cassia twirled another bite of noodles and chicken onto her fork. "I didn't say I'd be charging you rent, Tonks," she said patiently.

Tonks stammered for a moment, and Cassia let her flounder for a moment before she looked across the table at her best friend. "You... You mean that you would let me move into the manor with you?" she asked.

Cassia nodded. "Of course. You're my children's godmother, for one thing, and they absolutely adore you. Plus, Perry really loves your company, and she's always talking about you. And then there's the north tower, which is awfully lonely. And I may have already furnished it to your liking in the last several days, with Perry's help, of course."

Tonks dropped her fork with a squeal, her face turning into that of a mouse for a moment before she managed to call it off. "Thank you, Cassia!" she cried out.

Cassia grinned. "Your mum and I are already in agreement. I gave her the Floo password this morning and your things are already in your suite of rooms."

Tonks nearly choked on a bite of tomato and capers. "My suite of rooms?"

Cassia smiled. "Well, of course. Each suite comes with a bedroom, loo, and a closet."

Tonks shook her head, chewing and swallowing her bite. "And you're sure it's not too much, Cassia?" she wanted to know. "I can pay you a few hundred Galleons a month..."

Cassia shook her head. "No. You save your money, Tonks. One day, you're going to have a beautiful family, and you'll want as much money as you can, just to have a nest egg before the babies arrive."

Tonks blinked. "Family? Babies?"

"I had children," Cassia replied with a little shrug. "Who's to say you can't?"

Tonks swallowed. "I suppose I'll have to fall in love first."

"And you will," Cassia assured her, lifting her glass of ice water and sipping it. "The two of us can't remain single forever, Tonks," she joked.

. . .

Cassia stepped into the Floo Network directly from the ministry on a mildly warm June night and stepped in Albus's office. She very nearly tripped at the sight of Severus standing there as well, and a flush bloomed on her cheeks as he caught her by the arms to prevent her from falling. "T-thank you," she managed to get out, before pulling herself away from him and casting a cleaning charm on herself. "All right, you've got me here, Albus," she said, facing away from Severus so as she could speak proper English again. "What called me away from Auror duties?"

"The Philosopher's Stone, my dear," Albus replied.

Cassia shook her head. "I'm sorry. The what?"

"Forgive me," Albus said patiently, his blue eyes twinkling. "I hear you refer to it as the Sorcerer's Stone in America."

Cassia swallowed, and nodded her head. "Ah, yes. Can't think why America believes that we're incapable of understanding such a thing, but perhaps I've just proved their point." She squared her shoulders. "All right. What about the stone?"

"Kingsley informed me that you felt an aura of Dark Magic around Professor Quirrell's turban at the start-of-the-year feast," Albus explained.

Cassia blinked; she recalled that evening as the one where she had told Severus off, and that Minerva had begun writing her a howler, which she had gotten the next morning, demanding to know why she hadn't known about her pregnancy. "Yes, I felt one, Albus."

"He was working in league with the Dark Lord," Severus said from beside Cassia, forcing her to look at him again. "It appears that they were sharing a body, and that the turban was hiding his face from the outside world."

Cassia smirked. "I heard that Fred and George Weasley pelted it was snowballs just before the Christmas holidays. Now I'm not so sorry about it."

"Nevertheless, Professor Quirrell has been killed earlier this evening," Albus said, getting Cassia out of her humorous reverie.

Cassia blinked. "Killed? Oh, my. Was there no way to separate them? Or was Professor Quirrell too far gone to begin with?"

"I was unaware of a way to separate the two of them, unfortunately, but it seems as though we have young Harry Potter to thank for the vanquishing of the professor, although the spirit of Voldemort has left the grounds, and his whereabouts are unknown," the headmaster said, and Cassia automatically gritted her teeth.

"He won't be punished, will he?" Cassia asked, and could physically feel Severus rolling his eyes from beside her. "The boy isn't even twelve-years-old yet. Such a thing cannot be punishable, surely, and it's unlikely he did so maliciously..."

"Relax, my dear girl," Albus said, slowly bringing up his hand, which silenced Cassia almost immediately. "It appears as though the boy acted in self-defense. Quirrell moved to attack him and he merely meant to push him away."

Cassia's brows knit together then. "Push him away? I-I don't understand. How could a mere push kill someone?"

"Think about it, Serbus," Severus said with a sneer from beside her, and Cassia flashed him a glare as she turned to look at him again. "Potter was able to use his inner love to vanquish the evil professor. Quite a simple analysis, but complex magic."

"Is the boy all right, Albus?" Cassia asked, turning back to her former headmaster.

"He will be fine, dear girl," Albus assured her. "Poppy is tending to him now in the Hospital Wing, and he should be awake by morning. I've arranged for you to be the one to take the report, as it is high time you met the boy."

Cassia blinked. "Me, Albus? But why me?"

"I know certain things about the world around us, Miss Serbus, and it appears as though your fate has been tied to young Mr. Potter's from the very beginning. I think this should be a wonderful introduction for the two of you."

Cassia swallowed. "Very well, then."

"You shall be staying with Severus for the evening, then, and take your report tomorrow morning before going into the ministry."

Cassia felt lightheaded then but forced herself to nod. "Yes, Albus."

"Good evening, Albus," Severus said, and swept from the office, with Cassia following, after a wave to the headmaster. Severus said nothing as they wandered the hallways, and Cassia noted that the students seemed to shrink back from him. As they walked by the Great Hall, in the same corridor as the hospital wing, Cassia noticed Ron and that bushy-haired young witch, Hermione Granger, standing near the door. "Shouldn't the two of you be in Gryffindor Tower, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger?" Severus asked them.

"We wanted to see Harry, Professor Snape!" Ron said, who was covered in some scratches and bruises, while Hermione looked as if she was drenched in soot.

"Five points from Gryffindor for yelling, and a _further_ five for—"

"Severus," Cassia said, cutting across him and moving to stand beside them. "That's enough. I will meet you downstairs in a moment. _Go_," she said, narrowing her eyes when she saw he was about to protest, and Severus sneered before fleeing the scene. "Hey, Ron," she said, and Ron threw his arms around Cassia.

"I _knew_ you'd come! I just knew it!"

"Ron, that's an Auror!" Hermione hissed. "You don't just embrace and Auror without their express permission—"

"Hermione Granger, I presume?" Cassia said, gently patting Ron's hair for a moment before she extended her hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you."

Hermione blinked, shocked that Cassia knew her name, but accepted the handshake. "You're the American Auror, aren't you? Cassia Serbus?"

Cassia smiled. "I suppose the rumors that you are the brightest witch of your age aren't falsehoods," she said with a smile.

Hermione grinned. "Well, I just happen to read a lot."

"She does!" Ron put in, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him as Ron grinned up at Cassia. "She's _always_ in the library! If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have known about Nicholas Flamel and the Philosopher's Stone—"

"Ronald!" Hermione cried out then, shaking her head at him.

"That's quite all right, Hermione," Cassia said gently to the young witch, causing Hermione to look up at her. "As it happens, I know about the stone. Tomorrow morning, when Harry awakes, I will be taking his report of what happened last night. I take it that the two of you were with young Harry during the night?"

"Yeah," Ron said, pulling back from Cassia. "He was still asleep when I left the hospital wing a couple hours ago. Madam Pomfrey said he wouldn't take up until tomorrow."

"Well, then I shall take the report from all of you at once. Can't have the two of you separated for a long period. And, as I haven't been formally introduced to Harry yet, I'm sure he'd feel much more comfortable with the two of you there."

Hermione smiled at Cassia. "You were in Gryffindor, weren't you, Auror Serbus?"

Cassia grinned down at Hermione. "Yes, I was. And, please, call me 'Cassia'. Of course, I attended Ilvermorny until the end of my sixth-year, before the exchange program took place. I was in Thunderbird House."

"Thunderbird?" Ron squeaked. "But that's..."

"The equivalent of your Slytherin House, I know," Cassia assured him. "But, as it seems, there was a bit of loss in translation, and the hat believed I belonged in Gryffindor."

"How are Amara, Sebastian and Circe?" Ron wanted to know.

"Quite well," Cassia said, summoning her photos from inside her robes, and Ron immediately got mushy when he saw them. "That's my familiar, Amara," Cassia explained to Hermione, who looked positively enchanted with her. "And those are my children, Sebastian and Circe. They were born last September."

Hermione blinked, pulling back after Cassia returned the photos into her robes. "But, you're not even twenty! And you've got kids!"

Cassia laughed at the shocked expression on Hermione's face. "Yes, I suppose I did have them rather early, didn't I? Well, all that matters is that I can love and care for them, which I do. They are very happy children."

Hermione smiled, relieved. "That's good."

"What is it your parents do, Hermione?" Cassia asked, and Hermione looked confused. "My father is a No-Maj, and he works in the lumber business, cutting down trees in the most humane manner possible, before he sells the lumber to various companies."

"Oh, I see," Hermione said, nodding. "They're dentists."

Ron shook his head. "I still don't understand, Hermione."

Cassia laughed. "I was thought to be a Squib," she confessed, and Hermione and Ron's jaws dropped at the same time. "I was taught the ways of the Muggle world from the time I was a very young girl, not just due to my father's heritage, but because it was believed that I would be a part of that world one day as well. I saw a dentist from the time I was a child until the age of eleven, when my Hogwarts letter arrived. Then, my teeth started being cleaned the magical way. But it wasn't as traumatizing experience as a lot of Muggles would have you believe. They're actually awfully nice, if you select the right one."

Hermione nodded. "That's true," she said.

"Well, now, I know that you want to see Harry, but the two of you really should go to bed so that you're rested enough for my report tomorrow morning," Cassia said softly.

"All right," Ron said, hugging Cassia again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ron," Cassia said, and smiled when Hermione hugged her as well. "Do be sure he doesn't dally, Hermione."

"I will!" Hermione said, and pulled Ron behind her towards the grand staircase towards Gryffindor Tower.

Cassia turned on her heel and made her way towards the dungeons, noticing that a few older years looked at her with respect as she walked, as she was still in her Auror robes, and she made it a point to smile at them all as she walked. She noted the change in temperature as she made her way down the stairs and towards the potions classroom, and a few Slytherins high-tailed it into their common room, likely in fear that Cassia had come for them. Cassia let herself into the classroom and shut the door behind her, spotting Severus labeling ingredients beside the open storeroom cupboard across the room.

"Do you ever rest?" Cassia called to him.

"Do you ever keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong?"

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Come now, Severus. They're just first-years who were concerned for the well-being of their friend. Leave them alone."

Severus grumbled under his breath, but finished his work a moment later, shutting and warding the storeroom before he leaned against it, facing her. "And, no, Cassia. To answer your question, I never rest."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I think I can see that." She smirked slightly then, crossing the room and perching upon Severus's desk, to which he raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I am merely making myself comfortable. Would you prefer if I transfigured your desk into my bed for the evening? I am sure you want your personal space."

Severus swallowed. "You're awfully more chatty than you were last time."

Cassia shrugged, straightening her robes. "I merely had time to think, during then and now. I've quite returned to my senses now that the children are born."

"How are the children?"

Cassia grinned, summoning the copies of the magical photographs she'd gotten taken of them a few weeks prior, and banished them into Severus's waiting hands. "I hope those let you know how they've been."

"They are over eight months now," Severus breathed, taking in the photographs he held, his black eyes filling with happiness. "They're absolutely beautiful, Cassia."

"I'm glad you think so, considering that they're just as much yours as they are mine," she said with a little shrug.

Severus sighed, pocketing the photographs. "I am sorry I was so forceful with you the last time you were here," he said quietly. "I hadn't really taken the opportunity to consider just how hurt you were by my...thoughts."

Cassia nodded. "I suppose I can understand that." She bit on her lower lip then, before slowly raising her eyes to Severus's. "If you don't wish to be close with me, then I can understand that, certainly. However, if you've considered it, and want to, I'd be perfectly happy to be close to you again."

Severus came towards Cassia immediately then, purpose in his step, before he took her by the wrist and dragged her down from his desk. He hauled her without ceremony into his inner rooms, taking her all the way into his bedroom, slamming her down onto the bed and taking off her Auror robe immediately. He was surprised at Cassia's calm yet bold behavior; she was not a virgin any longer, and, given their months apart from one another, could have easily thought about what she wanted out of a lover, and Severus felt himself stiffen with jealousy at the thought of her with another man.

"Hey, hey," Cassia said, stopping her progress of unbuttoning his robes, only to cup his face. "I don't want you to worry about anything."

"Such as?"

"Anyone else being close to me," she said simply. "I haven't been with anyone since that first time, where we conceived the twins."

Severus swallowed. "And what makes you think I'd care?"

Cassia smirked up at him, and Severus's cheeks pinked ever so slightly. "It's written all over your face, Severus."

Severus reached inside her white blouse, taking it off as he caressed her breasts, still hidden beneath the lovely lace bra, and permitted his thumbs to stimulate her nipples, which immediately grew and became sensitive to his touch. He watched as Cassia arched against him then, lowering her hands from his face to resume her unbuttoning of his robes, which she somehow manage to get off him, and toss across the room.

"I'm not jealous," Severus assured her.

"Of course not," Cassia replied, running her hands over his bare chest, before her arms came down his neck and pulled him towards her, parting her lips automatically to accept him, her tongue invading his mouth a moment later.

"Which is not to say that I didn't find myself missing you," Severus put in, unhooking her bra between kisses.

Cassia smiled, unzipping his trousers and permitting him to do the same to her. "I can say that that statement is true for me as well."

Severus tore off her trousers and boots next, and put his hand beneath the waistband of her pair of panties, and Cassia swallowed then, letting out a slow moan as he felt her for the first time in over a year. "You are already ready for me?"

Cassia cleared her throat. "Mmm-hmm," she said, her tone husky as her eyes turned glazed. "I was ready from the moment you touched me in the headmaster's office. Ron and Hermione are lovely students, but I could barely keep a straight face during our conversation."

"Had I know you were ready for me from that moment, I would have shoved you through the Floo in Albus's office and taken you immediately..."

"Patience is a virtue, Severus," she whispered, arching up against him then, and yanked down his boxers, enclosing her fingers around his erect member. "Oh, my... It's bigger than I remembered it being," she found herself saying.

Severus groaned against her, tipping her chin up with his free hand and finding her lips. "Stroke me, Cassia," he whispered against her mouth.

"Gladly, as long as I get the same... Oh, my," she said, swallowing as she felt Severus's fingers rubbing against her, and so she gave his engorged member the same treatment. "Please," she whispered then, arching herself so that the distance between them was minute. "I need...need you inside me, Severus, please..."

Severus groaned though that amazing mouth of his at her words, yanking down her panties and summoning something from the drawer of his nightstand, before he held it up for Cassia to inspect. "Do you know what this is?" he asked her.

"A condom," Cassia replied. "Better to be safe than sorry. I... I got on the pill in the last few months, just to be safe," she said.

"Good to know," Severus said, and slipped the rubber onto his cock, stiffening at the contact it made before grabbing ahold of Cassia's hips. "Are you ready?"

"For you?" she whispered, reaching up and gently tucking his hair behind his ears. "Always. I will always be ready for you."

Severus nodded, taking her hands in his for a moment before he gently eased himself inside her, and Cassia immediately opened up for him, a hiss coming through her lips at the invasive contact flowing through her. "Salazar, you feel amazing," Severus whispered against her neck.

"Move," she whispered, reaching behind him and grabbing his buttocks. "Move inside me, Severus, and take me. Hard."

Severus felt himself becoming harder at Cassia's words, and pushed himself upwards then, taking ahold of her hips again, so that he could establish a rhythm. It didn't take long, but soon he was pounding into her, and Cassia was calling his name, and knotting her fingers through her hair as she arched upwards upon the bed. "Yes, Cassia, yes. Tell me what's going through your mind right now."

"You," she whispered, a moan lingering at the back of her throat. "Always, you. Harder. I need to feel you everywhere."

Severus let go of Cassia's hips then, still pounding into her, before his hands traveled up the length of her milk-white arms and found her hands, which he pinned to the bed and gripped for all he was worth. "More, Cassia. Tell me more."

"I... I've never felt as good as I do now," she whispered. "I feel safe with you, cherished, adored, beloved," she said, careful not to use the word 'love' on its own, almost as if she knew that Severus couldn't say it, and that pained him ever so slightly. "You seem to know where all my buttons are, and I don't want to ever do this with anyone else..."

Severus felt the ice around his heart slowly but surely beginning to melt, especially at the notion that Cassia truly didn't want anyone but him. However, he knew that that could change from day to day, as they both had jobs to do, appearances to keep up, and the like. And yet, he knew he could enjoy this one night, and take it a day at a time, and give Cassia what she wanted, because he wanted it, too.

"Don't stop," Cassia whispered. "Please, don't stop. I need..."

"I know what you need, Cassia," Severus assured her, and resumed his steady rhythm, pounding into her all over again.

"Severus!" she cried out. "Severus, please!"

"Now, Cassia. show me how much I mean to you now," he ordered.

"Sev-_rus_!" she screamed then, letting out a cry as he spilled his seed into her, technically, and found that she missed the warmth that came with it. Her toes curled then, and she let out as gasp as Severus fell back onto the bed, moving out of her, whereupon he banished the condom, before he put an arm around her, bringing her against him.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Cassia nodded, the exhaustion filling her system, and her magic thrumming just below the surface of her skin. "That was amazing," she whispered, caressing his chest, to the point where his nipples hardened beneath her fingers. "Thank you, Severus."

"Always," he whispered, pulling her closer to him.

. . .

Cassia awoke the following morning before breakfast, and moved to leave, but let out a squeal as Severus yanked her back into the bed with him, and rolled on top of her. "Severus," she whispered then, flushing at their close contact. "What are you doing? I have to meet with Harry, Ron, and Hermione this morning to file a report..."

"All in good time," Severus replied, trailing kisses from her jaw to her neck and back again. "I know you'll make it work."

Cassia sighed, gritting her teeth to prevent a groan from escaping. "Well, perhaps I could entice you to shower with me," she said, and Severus pulled back, raising his eyebrows. "That way, we'd be getting ready, but together. And besides," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinning at him, "I've never made love in the shower before."

Severus grinned back at her, grabbing her by the waist and carrying her to his en suite, where he turned the water on hot and slammed her up against the black tiles.

Cassia could still feel the delicious bruising throughout her body as she used Severus's Floo and arrived in the hospital wing, meeting Albus at the end of it, near Madam Pomfrey's office. "I hope you had a nice sleep, Albus," she said.

"The same can be asked of you, dear girl," Albus said, a twinkle in his eye, and Cassia was somehow able not to flush. "Come and meet young Harry, then."

"Of course," Cassia said, following him, and arrived at the foot of Harry's bed, and smiled at the young wizard. "Good morning, Harry."

"Good morning, Auror Serbus," he said formally.

"Please, none of that. I'm only a few years older than you, you know," she said with a light chuckle as she conjured the stiff hospital chair into an armchair, and Harry looked very pleased with her spell work. "Albus, mind if I...?"

Albus chuckled, likely understanding Cassia's meaning. "Not at all."

Cassia waved her hand and transformed Harry's bedding into Gryffindor colors, complete with a thicker blanket and better-quality pillows. "Ah, yes, that's much better, I think," she said, and Harry grinned, leaning back in his comfort. "Which reminds me..." She whistled then, a warbling tune, and the doors of the hospital wing flew open and, just a moment later, a snowy owl came flying through the doors, and came to rest upon the perch that Cassia had conjured, just beside Harry's bed. "Nice to meet you, Hedwig," she said, and stroked Harry's familiar, who cooed softly at the attention.

"Well, I'll go and summon Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger," Albus said, and moved to leave the hospital wing. "Will you be quite all right, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, headmaster," he replied.

Cassia waited until Albus had left before she conjured a small wrapped gift, with crimson wrapping and a gold ribbon. "Here you are," she said. "I managed to pop over to Hogsmeade this morning and get this. I know that circumstances have prevented you from getting very many gifts in the past, Harry, and I want you to know that I understand that incredibly well," she let him know, his green eyes meeting hers, and she smiled at him, letting him know that they didn't have to discuss it.

"Thank you," Harry said, taking the gift and pulling the gold ribbon carefully, and stuck his hands upon the wrapping, tearing it off. "It's lovely," he said, his brow puckering. "But, what exactly is it?"

"It's a broom compass," Cassia said. "Headmaster Dumbledore told me that you have a Nimbus 2000, and the shop said that that one should fit. That way, if it's particularly rainy outside during a match or practice, you'll always find your way back."

"Will you come and see me play sometime?" Harry asked, and immediately covered his mouth with his hand. "Sorry. I haven't had friends until this year, and I realize that you're an Auror and probably have a really busy schedule..."

"Harry, that's all right," Cassia said, not wanting Harry to be saddened. "As it so happens, the ministry encourages us to keep up appearances. As long as my schedule permits, and my children are taken care of, I'd be happy to come and see a game. Maybe one day we can go flying together."

Harry blinked. "You fly?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I have an Air Wave Gold that your friend Ron's older brother, Charlie Weasley, who is quite like my Ron, gifted to me when I was a student here last year."

"But you're American," Harry said, and Cassia raised her eyebrows, attempting not to laugh at the childish honesty in his voice. "I mean no disrespect, Cassia, but we were told here at Hogwarts that American wizard kind attends Ilvermorny in Massachusetts."

Cassia grinned at him. "Typically, Harry, that would be true. Except last year Hogwarts and Ilvermorny participated in the International Student Exchange Program, meaning that two witches and wizards from each school swapped for the year. I came here with three other students, and was the only one put into Gryffindor."

"You're a Gryffindor?" Harry asked, clearly relieved.

Cassia smiled. "I am, yes. One student got Hufflepuff upon our arrival, and the other two, who are actually married now, got put into Ravenclaw."

"No Slytherins, then?"

Cassia laughed. "Actually, the hat seemed keen on Slytherin for me, for a moment, before he decided that my bravery outweighed my cunning and ambition." She shrugged. "Needless to say that Professor Snape wasn't too happy about that."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't like him."

"Professor Snape?"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "He's...not very friendly."

Cassia sighed, knowing that she could hardly divulge Severus's true reasons for being unfriendly, but didn't want Harry to be upset. "Well, all I can say is that Professor Snape has room for improvement when it comes to his behavior towards students, but I think we all have room for improvement in our lives, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "I guess so, yeah."

"Ah, and you're getting along so well," Albus said as he headed inside the hospital wing with Ron and Hermione in tow.

"Harry!" Ron said, rushing forward and embracing his friend, and Hermione did the same a moment later.

"Well, Cassia, you seem to have your work cut out for you," Albus said as Cassia conjured armchairs for both Ron and Hermione, who looked pleased with themselves. "Harry, don't hesitate to share your sweets with Cassia."

Harry nodded, motioning to Cassia, who took a brightly-striped box into her hands and began to inspect its contents. "Bertie Botts Every-Flavor Beans," he said fondly.

"Perhaps not those," Albus interjected warningly. "I ate a vomit-flavored one years ago, which put me off them ever since, until this morning, when I ingested an earwax-flavored one. But, perhaps you'll have better luck, my dear," he said, and traipsed out of the hospital wing to attend to other duties.

"There are Cauldron Cakes right here," Hermione said.

Cassia shot her a grin. "You really do know everything there is to know about people, don't you?" she asked her.

Hermione shrugged with a smile. "It's a gift."

Cassia laughed. "Well, I don't think I'd be a true Gryffindor if I didn't attempt to get a good flavor of these," she said, shaking the box, coming out with a golden-looking bean with a stripe of dark brown on top. "Could be anything," she said, replacing the box at the foot of Harry's bed before popping the bean into her mouth and chewing it. "Éclair," she said after a moment with a smile on her face, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione visibly relaxed. "Now," she said, summoning her pad and magical quill, "why don't you all tell me, one at a time, what happened in the depts of the castle last night? Hermione, you first."


	8. Brevity is the Soul of Wit

"So, just remain cold, then?" Cassia asked, trailing her hand along Perry's ears as she stood beside Severus at the gates of Malfoy Manor.

"Precisely," Severus replied, before looking down at Perry. "Now, Perry do you remember what we discussed earlier?"

"Yes, Perry remembers, Master Severus!" Perry squeaked. "Perry is to remain silent and meek while we are in the big house. And then, Perry will get to see her Cousin Dobby!"

"That's right," Severus told the elf. He was about to announce to the wards that they were there, but Cassia stopped him. "What is it?" he asked.

Cassia bit her lip for a moment before she took his hand, closing the distance between them and kissing him. "Only because I won't be able to do that for a while," she said with a half-smile on her face.

Severus immediately put his arm around Cassia's waist and dragged her to him, smashing his lips to hers and shoving his tongue in her mouth, tasting her, and growing immediately hard as Cassia moaned into his mouth. "Later," he promised her, and Cassia nodded up at him, her eyes alight with the promise. Severus squeezed her hip then before letting her go, and announced to the wards that they'd arrived, and soon the three beings were permitted entry.

Cassia raised her eyes to the grounds around them; they stood in a beautiful front garden, which Severus had mentioned that Narcissa took care of regularly. As they passed the immaculate hedges towards the entryway, Cassia's eyebrows raised at the imposing, dark fortress about them, but would not permit herself to be afraid. She put on a cold smile as the black walnut door opened before them, and Lucius Malfoy himself stood there.

"Ah, Severus," he said, allowing his cane to remain suspended in midair as he clasped Severus's hand briefly. "And this beauty must be Cassandra," he said, turning his silvery eyes onto Cassia with a serpentine smile on his face.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Cassia said, accepting his handshake, which she found to be surprisingly warm.

"Ah, I see you've brought your house-elf," Lucius said as they walked inside, wrinkling his nose at the creature which now clung to Cassia's leg.

"Yes," she said, rolling her eyes, and Severus held back a smirk, as Cassia was playing her role perfectly. "It seems as though my Perry is the cousin of your Dobby. The thing wouldn't stop squeaking for weeks since I got her about their relation. It keeps my children up at night, and I won't have them disturbed."

"I see," Lucius said, looking piteously at Cassia.

"I thought it right to show her where Dobby lives, sir," she said with a cruel smile in Perry's direction, a small laugh escaping from her lips. "If you don't mind of course."

Lucius quickly met Cassia's cruel smile. "But of course. Dobby!" he shouted then, and another house-elf joined then, his meek stance not lost on Cassia, which made her blood boil.

"Master has summoned Dobby?" the male elf squeaked.

"Look what our guest, Auror Serbus, has brought with her," he said, gesturing with his head towards Perry.

"Cousin Perry!" Dobby squeaked, dashing forward, his filthy pillowcase clinging to him, covered in god knew what.

"Dobby!" Lucius scolded. "You will take Perry into the kitchens. She can assist you today, and Perry, you will come to your mistress if she has need of you."

"Yes, sir," Perry replied, and she and Dobby popped away.

"What a well-behaved little elf you have there," Lucius said, guiding Severus and Cassia into his expansive parlor, a hand on each of their shoulders. "You haven't had to give her death threats, have you, my dear?"

"No, just glares at this point," Cassia replied with a smile at her host. "Mild threats and glares, I've found, go a long way. And working for the ministry, although I enjoy every minute of it, is quite exhausting. So, when I come home, if I have the option of beating Perry into submission because she didn't dust the furniture correctly, or spending time with the children, I will always choose my children."

"Spoken like a true mother," said a mildly lyrical voice, as a beautiful woman breezed into the parlor via another door, a young boy at her side. The woman had long, black hair, streaked elegantly with white, and wore close-fitting green velvet and silk robes. "You must be Cassandra," she said, genuinely warm, as she advanced upon her.

"Cassia please, ma'am," she said, and took Narcissa Malfoy's hand, whereupon the two bowed to one another.

"Call me Cissa, then," came the reply, and her hostess smiled at her. "May I present my son, Draco?" she asked, turning to him.

"Lovely to meet you, Master Draco," Cassia said, and Draco reverently bowed his head before shaking Cassia's hand. "I would have brought my children as well, but I didn't think you would want to play with ten-month-olds."

"My Draco loves children, Cassia, but I see your point," Cissa replied with an indulgent smile aimed her son. "Ten-month-olds cannot really play yet. What names did you select for them, then, my dear?" she asked, guiding Cassia over to a couch beside the fire, while Draco ran towards Severus, and Severus placed a hand on his shoulder, never breaking in his conversation from Lucius.

"Sebastian and Circe," Cassia replied with a smile. "Their father, Merlin rest his soul, and I were only married a few weeks when he was taken from me. We still don't know all the details, but it has been a trying time, especially because he didn't know we were going to have children yet. It was quite a shock, when I found out, because we weren't even trying."

"Oh, you poor dear," Cissa said, putting her hand onto Cassia's leg. "That's a simply dreadful occurrence for one so young." Her eyes drifted to Severus for a moment and back to Cassia. "I take it that you and Severus are close?"

"I was only Gryffindor he could stand, especially because I understood what we were learning in potions," Cassia replied, and Cissa stiffened. "Damn that hat. I think it should be replaced. It got your Draco quite right; the hat wished to place me into Slytherin, and Severus was most put-out when it didn't. As I'm sure Severus has mentioned, I was put into Thunderbird House upon my arrival at Ilvermorny."

"Dear, dear me," Cissa said, shaking her head. "Well, Severus has also mentioned that you are a daughter of the Romano family. They are the American equivalent of the Malfoy family, I'll have you know," she went on with a smile. "Your grandfather, Giuseppe, has wonderful ideas about the future of the world, my dear."

Cassia nodded. "Of course, but attacking fellow family members without just-cause, I feel, should never be accepted."

Cissa's eyes flashed. "Do you mean to tell me that he attacked you, my dear?"

"Repeatedly, over the years. Severus was most annoyed of his treatment of me," Cassia said with a small smile. "It was most egregious, so once I managed to get into the exchange program and attend Hogwarts, it was a god-send. Of course, I agree with his values, just not how he chose to express them, using Unforgivables against his own family..."

"What is it he did?"

"The Cruciatus Curse," Cassia replied in an off-handed manner. "I refused to marry the man he'd selected for me, as he was old enough to be my father, and a complete tyrant. There were rumors that he'd murdered his past three wives, and I certainly didn't wish to become the fourth."

"No indeed," Cissa agreed.

"In the wake of my refusal, he used the curse to torture me into submission. I fear that my magic backfired against him, however."

Cissa's eyes widened. "That was you who caused his inability to walk?"

Cassia nodded. "Not on purpose, mind you..."

"You _brilliant_ witch!" Cissa cried out in delight then, catching ahold of Cassia's hands and turning to Lucius. "Lucius, darling, Cassia here has just informed me that it was _she_ who crippled Giuseppe Romano!"

Draco looked positively delighted at that and dashed forward. "How did you do it? A bone-breaking curse?" he asked.

"Now, now, Draco," Lucius said to his son, and Draco immediately calmed down. "But yes, my dear Cassandra. How did you manage it? He is a Pure-Blood, and many years older than you, so he was likely able to defend himself."

"Many magical people don't believe you need to defend yourself whilst casting an Unforgivable Curse, sir," Cassia said with a smile. "It was my magical core which saved me."

Lucius blinked. "But... My dear, you are a Half-Blood. Such things are very difficult for Pure-Bloods, let alone impossible for..."

"She may not be a Half-Blood at all then," Cissa said with a smile. "Are you positively sure that the man your mother married, whose name you bear, could be your father?"

"He raised me, and my brothers, as if I was," Cassia said with a shrug. "But, I suppose it couldn't hurt just to be sure."

"Severus will take care of it when you decide to," Lucius said, waving a hand at Severus, who put on a thin smile.

"Were you quite close to your mother, dear?" Cissa asked.

Cassia shook her head. "No. I didn't showcase my magic when she bade me to, and so she believed that I was a Squib."

"And so, she became far more powerful than her younger brother, Edgar, because she didn't waste her magic on frivolous things growing up," Severus put in.

"A wise decision," Cissa assured Cassia. "You couldn't have gotten into our Auror Department if you were lackluster in any way, my dear. You could produce a Patronus Charm at an exceptionally young age, and you are an Animagus."

"Yes, I believe our dear friend Severus referred to me as an oversized kitten when he met me in my form for the first time," Cassia replied with a smile.

"So, you can change into a cat, then? Like Professor McGonagall?" Draco wanted to know, his question a valid one.

"A form of cat, Draco, yes. But it's a much larger one than the common gray tabby that the Head of Gryffindor House is. My cat is known as a bobcat, and it's native to Washington State, which is where I'm from, originally."

"Perhaps you'd like to see her form, Draco," Lucius put in.

"May I, Mother?" Draco asked.

"Only if it is all right with Cassia, darling," Cissa told her son.

"That's perfectly all right," Cassia replied. Focusing entirely on the transformation process, she felt her hands turning into paws, and the fur growing out of every foreseeable surface upon her body. Then, her ears shot upwards onto her head, and her teeth became fangs, and she hopped to the ground, thinking that Cissa wouldn't want hair on her couch. She approached Draco, who looked delighted, and sat before him, lowering her head, which the young wizard immediately reached out to stroke.

"Oh, what a beautiful animal. Lucius, I want one of our contacts in America to bring me one of their young, so that we can raise it to protect us."

"Of course, my dear," Lucius said. "She's in control, isn't she, Severus?"

"She's been an Animagus since she was fourteen, Lucius. I think she has a handle on it. And, don't forget, she works for the wizarding government. They would have figured out by now if she wasn't in control."

"Draco, we cannot allow our guest to remain in her Animagus form all day," Cissa said with a smile towards her son. "Why don't you run along upstairs and finish your homework? I'm sure that Severus will check over your potions and defense assignments when you're done, and that Cassia could be persuaded to check over your charms and transfiguration."

Cassia immediately returned to her human form, and sat beside Cissa upon the couch. "I'd be delighted to, Draco, if you need the help."

"An actual Auror helping me? Yes!" Draco shouted, pumping his fist into the air before he dashed from the room.

"Forgive his excitement, please, Cassandra," Lucius put in.

Cassia shook her head. "Not at all, sir. He is an extremely well-behaved young man, and a tribute to you and Cissa."

"Thank you, my dear," Cissa said. "Now, tell me all about America."

. . .

"You were absolutely breathtaking," said Severus as he watching Cassia changing into something more casual later that afternoon, back at Prince Manor. "I wanted to drag you out of there several times and fuck you senseless."

Cassia smirked, pulling her hair into a ponytail and shaking her head. "Well, you'll just have to wait, as I've got that important errand I've discussed."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Can't it wait?"

"Absolutely not," Cassia said, glaring at him. "We discussed this. I'll be back shortly, and Tonks and Perry have got the twins at the Tonks household for the rest of the afternoon. As soon as I've finished this errand, I'm all yours."

Severus sighed. "Very well then."

Cassia grinned at him, crossing the room and covering her lips with his. "Something to remember me by while I temporarily brave the Muggle world."

Severus held onto Cassia. "And you won't be long?"

"No," she said, pocketing her wand and putting her plain traveling cloak around her shoulders, before she summoned a carefully-wrapped package into her arms. "I won't be. Under an hour, I can promise you that."

Cassia held up her hand in a wave to Severus and Apparated from the room, arriving on a dead-end side street in Little Whinging. She began to walk, and turned a corner, counting down the homes she passed until she reached the one with a 'four' in its address. Smiling to herself, she walked up to the door and knocked, concealing the gift beneath her cloak, and smiled as the door opened, to an oversized oaf of a man who gave her a bemused look.

"Oh. It's one of you lot," he said, and Cassia immediately knew that this had to be Vernon Dursley, Harry's uncle. How he knew that she was magic she didn't know, but she decided to let the derogatory comment slide.

"You must be Vernon Dursley," she said, as brightly as she could. "Pleased to meet you, sir. I am a witch, if that's what you're worried about... Oh, I wouldn't do that, sir," she said, raising her hand and preventing him from shutting the door. "You see, I work for the wizarding government, and if I have just cause to report something untoward, you and your family could be held accountable. We wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?"

Vernon glared at Cassia, wondering what gave this witch—an American one, mind you—the right to threaten him on his front stoop. Nevertheless, although his face tinged a deep purple hue, he managed to move his beefy frame aside, thus permitting Cassia into the house. "What do they call you, then?" he asked.

"Please, call me Cassia. I'm never one for titles."

Vernon shut the door and crossed his arms. "What do you do?"

"I'm sort of like a police officer, you could say," she replied with a smile, and Vernon made a choking sound in his throat. "Now, now. I only have the authority to capture dark wizards. You are not a wizard, Mr. Dursley, so although I'd like to very much, I cannot legally apprehend you, no matter what you do to young Harry, although I can still report it."

"Vernon! Who was at the door?" came a shouty voice, and a woman, thin as a reed with curly black hair came into the room, and let out a squeak. "A-a witch!" she whispered.

"Ah, Petunia," she said, forgoing formalities with her. "Yes, I know who you are," she said as Petunia's skin took on the tint of milk.

"How... How do you...?"

"Severus Snape was my potions professor last year before I graduated. Surely, you remember him," Cassia said, and Petunia made a livid sound.

"That _freak_!" she hissed.

"Then, I suppose, that makes me one as well," Cassia said, wanting very much to hex the woman, but held herself back.

"How could _he_ have been your professor?" Petunia demanded. "You're not English. I was told only English freaks attended that freaky school!"

"A simple exchange program, my dear Petunia," Cassia said, pure loathing in her voice as she looked around the lounge, seeing a miniature of Vernon, except with Petunia's hair, sitting on the couch, taking in the exchange. "Ah. This must be young Dudley. Manage to get that tail of his removed?" she asked, her eyes drifting to Petunia again.

"Mummy!" Dudley screamed, launching himself from his seat, and diving into Petunia's arms, the plate of god knows what, which he'd been clutching, falling to the floor, and the food spilling onto the carpet.

"Mummy's right here, diddums," Petunia replied, glaring at Cassia.

Cassia rolled her eyes and lifted her hand, casting a simple Cleaning Charm, removing all damage to the carpet, and levitating the plate onto a table. "There, now. You see? No harm done at all," she said, ignoring Dudley's obvious distress. "Now, then, I take it that the smallest bedroom your house has to offer would be upstairs. Please excuse me," she said, and moved past Vernon, who hurried into the living room to comfort his wife, and made her way up the stairs and past the landing. She let out a gasp at the sight of the door, seeing every padlock available in the Muggle market upon the door, and shook her head. "Merlin," she muttered, and, with a flick of her hand, dismantled them easily, and opened the door. "Harry?" she asked, poking her head into the bedroom, and caught sight of the boy, sitting by the window, which had painfully obvious bars on it. "Harry, my dear boy! What happened here?!" she demanded, shutting and warding the door behind them, and stepped forward.

Harry turned around then, relief filling him completely as he caught sight of Cassia, and ran towards her, throwing his arms around her. "Uncle Vernon had a dinner party for Mr. and Mrs. Mason," he said, obviously trying not to try. "I had to be up here, making no noise and pretending that I didn't exist. But then this...this _house-elf_ came here, told me that he kept my correspondence from Ron and Hermione, and told me that I couldn't go back to Hogwarts, and then he ran downstairs and dropped Aunt Petunia's pudding on Mrs. Mason's head!"

Cassia sighed. "Dobby," she muttered.

Harry pulled back, stepping away from her. "Wait. You _know_ him?! Is he your house-elf?! Did you do all this to prevent me from going?!"

Cassia immediately shook her head. "No, of course not. I know Dobby, and his family. His cousin, Perry, a female house-elf, lives with me. That's how I know him. That, and I'm friends, for lack of a better term, with his family."

"Who's family is he?"

"Wizarding Secrecy prevents me from revealing that information, I'm afraid," she said with a sigh, shaking her head. "But, I come here with a couple of things for you."

"Yeah? Like what?" Harry asked.

Cassia smiled, revealing the large package in her hands. "Happy Birthday," she said quietly, and Harry immediately took the package, wide-eyed with excitement. "I hope you like it."

Harry took out the card first, put beneath the ribbon, which simply read, _Happy Birthday, Harry, this Auror is always here for you, much love, Cassia_. Harry's eyes filled with tears at the note and promptly hugged Cassia again, obviously happier than he'd been a moment ago. "Thank you so much," he said.

"Well, go on and open it," she said, gently pushing him towards the package.

Harry chuckled, walking back over to his bed and opening the package, which contained a generous package of Exploding Bon Bons from Honeydukes, as well as a copy of _Beating the Bludgers – A Study of Defensive Strategies in Quidditch_ from Flourish and Blotts. "Thank you, Cassia, but you really didn't have to get me anything," said Harry softly, and Cassia's heart almost immediately went out to him.

"I know I didn't, Harry. But, listen to me for a moment, please." Once Harry turned around, she smiled at him. "My mother thought I was a Squib growing up. As such, she showered attention on my younger brother, Edgar, because his magical prowess showed itself immediately. As for my father, he was a No-Maj—a Muggle, in your world—he was very busy with his job in the Muggle world. He's a lumber baron, you see, and he's training my half-brothers, Noah and Liam, to take over for him. So, I was frequently left to my own devices growing up. Until I went to Ilvermorny, other than my grandmother, I didn't have anyone. I was broken, for quite a bit of time, when she passed away, and it wasn't until I found out that I was a witch and went to school that I found I fit in and made friends."

"Did... Did you ever get hurt...in your family?"

Cassia sighed. "You mean, did I get beaten?"

Harry swallowed. "Yes."

"Of course I did," she said quietly. "These were the worst," she said, and rolled up her sleeves to reveal the marks of the Cruciatus Curse. "I hope you never feel this curse, Harry. It's called an Unforgivable for a reason. It hurts like hell, among other things."

"Who... Who did that to you?"

"My grandfather," Cassia told him, rolling her sleeves back down.

"Why?"

"Because I refused to follow tradition and get married and have children immediately after my graduation from Ilvermorny," Cassia said softly. "I saw coming here, to Hogwarts, as a salvation, and I haven't been back to the States since."

"But... You have children..."

"Yes, and that's only because I fell in love with their father," Cassia said quietly, and took out a photograph of them, and Harry smiled at the picture. "The twins weren't planned, Harry, but I love them more than anything, and I wouldn't change me having them for the world."

Harry nodded. "I suppose I can understand that."

Cassia smiled. "Well, I suppose I should be going now." She hesitated when she saw a look of fear and sadness in Harry's eyes. "Look, Harry, if it were up to me, I'd take you out of here in a minute and bring you to the Burrow. Unfortunately, I've not been given clearance to do so, and I could lose my job."

Harry sighed, nodding his head. "I wouldn't want that to happen. You're one of the good ones, I know it."

Cassia smiled. "Well, I'm glad you think that way, Harry. I'm always on your side, and I'll always be there for you."

Harry swallowed, before crossing the room and hugging Cassia. "And... You'll still come to one of my games?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Next term, I promise."

Harry nodded, pulling back and away from Cassia, and held his arm to his chest. "All right, then, I do suppose you'd better get going."

"See you soon, Harry," Cassia said, re-locking him in the room, although it pained her to do so, and Apparated away.

. . .

"There are _bars_ on his window!" Cassia screamed as soon as she appeared in the master bedroom at Prince Manor.

"Bars?" Severus asked.

"Yes, bars!" Cassia cried out. "And he's been locked into his bedroom. Dobby's done this, set this plan in motion. This can only end badly, Severus," Cassia told him, throwing off her cloak and banishing it into her wardrobe.

Severus sighed; he was sitting at the edge of the bed, his chin leaning on his steepled fingers as he considered it. "He'll get to Hogwarts, Cassia. He has to."

Cassia nodded. "And I know just how it make it happen," she told him, summoning her wand into her hand. "Expecto Patronum!" she said, thinking of when she had been presented with her Auror robes for the first time, and the bobcat came forth from her wand, and waited, poised, to see what she wanted. "Go to Ron Weasley at the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole," she ordered the cat. "Ron, this is Cassia. I know why Harry hasn't been writing back to you. His relatives are starving him, clearly, and there are bars on his window! They've also forced him to keep Hedwig locked up, as evidenced by her quiet and annoyed demeanor when I was there earlier today. A certain house-elf orchestrated this, in an effort to ensure that he wouldn't go back to Hogwarts this year, under the guise that it's too dangerous. I don't know how you can get him out of there, Ron, but I know you'll find a way to do so. I'll see you all soon." She nodded to the bobcat then, who flitted out of her bedroom, across the moors, and beyond.

"Sure you know what you're doing?" Severus asked, taking ahold of Cassia's wrist and gently dragging her towards the bed.

Cassia sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed where Severus had guided her. She shuddered slightly then as he knelt behind her, summoning the tie out from her hair, and moving it to the side, and pressed his lips repeatedly against her neck. "I might be a Seer, as well as a witch," she allowed, and Severus made a sound of acknowledgement against her skin, which caused it to prickle everywhere his breath or lips touched. "But that doesn't mean that I know everything there is to know about everything."

Severus chuckled, cupping her breasts, which caused Cassia to moan and arch into him. "Tell me what you're thinking right now," he whispered into her ear, before gently enclosing the lobe into his mouth, and pulling on it with his teeth.

"I can feel that...everywhere," she whispered, parting her legs immediately as one of Severus's hands moved from her breasts and in between her legs.

"Tell me what you want, Cassia."

"You, Severus. Always you..."

"What else are you thinking?" he asked, his tongue moving across her lobe, before he blew onto it with his hot breath, and bit onto it again, as he rubbed her between her legs.

Cassia's breath came out in short bursts then as she molded herself up against Severus. "I love you," she moaned then, and Severus released her other breast with his hand, and gently turned her neck, kissing her on the lips. "I love you so much..."

Severus dragged her thumb tantalizingly slow across her lips, his eyes filling with a deeper meaning then as he banished her clothes, followed by his own. He then took ahold of her hips and positioned her on top of him, and Cassia's face flushed in a moment of uncertainty. "You look so beautiful like that, on top of my cock," Severus intoned, before putting himself inside of Cassia, which caused her to scream in a moment of pure ecstasy, and Severus grinned as she began to position herself on top of him. "That's it, sweetheart. Go on. Go on and ride me," he told her, and stiffened from inside her as she began to move on top of him. "That's it. Go on and go faster. It's all right."

"Hold me in place like you mean it," Cassia growled, her hazel eyes taking in Severus. "I'm not made of glass, and I won't break. "Tell me what you want, and don't stop."

"Ride me faster!" Severus ordered her.

Cassia groaned at his tone of voice, her nipples seeming to double in size as she took them into her hands, her eyes rolling backwards and up into her head. "Severus... Holy fuck. You feel absolutely incredible..."

Severus promptly smacked Cassia on her beautiful backside, which caused her to lose her rhythm for a moment as she let out a mewl of surprise. "Five points from Gryffindor for swearing at your professor."

Cassia bit down hard on her lower lip, her cheeks flaming with pleasure as her eyes darkened to a molten brown. "I accidentally put Abraxan hair into my potion instead of Unicorn into my Potent Exstimulo Potion," she said, rolling her hips on top of Severus.

Severus's eyes gleamed that Cassia had caught onto the game that quickly, and moved so that he was positioned behind her, which caused Cassia to moan at the sensation. "Fifty points from Gryffindor for being so careless..." Severus cut himself off then, mulling it over for a moment before he placed a hand onto Cassia's nether regions, which caused her to make a slight squeak of surprise. "Let's try another method of punishment, shall we?" he asked, pressing onto her love button, which caused Cassia to wet even more as she ground against his finger.

"What did you have in mind, sir?" she whispered, turning around and looking at Severus over her shoulder, which caused him to lengthen and grow inside her, triggering a moan from betwixt her delicious lips.

Severus leaned forward, so that his chest was upon Cassia's bare back; he tried to ignore the scars that he saw there but, upon finding that he couldn't kissed every one, which made excited breaths come out of Cassia's mouth. "Withholding," Severus said after a moment, biting her ear lobe for a moment, which excited another mewl out of Cassia, before he tore himself away from her and stroked her delicately between her legs. "You are not to come until I give you the word that you may. Do you understand, Cassia?"

Cassia swallowed, but nodded, knowing that this would ensure that her eventual orgasm would be far better than if they simply rushed through this. "Yes, I understand."

Severus rewarded Cassia with a smack on her backside, and stopped stroking her clitoris, which caused a deeply pained groan to emit from Cassia. "Yes, I understand _what_?"

Cassia sighed. "Yes, I understand, sir."

"That's better," Severus told her, smoothing the space that he'd smacked. He didn't speak again, and instead took ahold of her left hip with his left hand, using this as leverage to pound her mercilessly, and used his right hand to stroke her. He took his strokes, both inside and out, painfully slowly, because he wanted to ultimate build-up to be amazing for Cassia.

Cassia swallowed, enjoying the feeling of Severus's prick inside her, and his beautiful hand stroking in between her legs. The pay-off, she knew all too well, would be amazing, from everything she had heard. Although she and Severus had played professor and student before in their exploits together, never before had Severus given her a punishment like this before. Part of her wondered if, at the end of this, she would feel completely like liquid, and would agree to anything Severus suggested afterwards...

Severus elicited a healthy dose of pants from Cassia a few moments later, when he picked up his pace inside her, as well as on her clitoris. "Do you like that?" he whispered.

"Yes, sir. Please, sir, please. More," she begged him.

"Do you realize your mistake?" he asked her, moving his fingers even faster on her clitoris. "Do you realize that, if you hadn't said anything, everyone in the classroom could have died?"

"Yes, yes, sir!" Cassia cried out, the words ripping from her throat as she struggled to keep up her communication with him.

"Do you apologize?"

"I apologize, sir, yes," Cassia said, her breath coming out in pants, even faster than the ones a moment ago. "Please, sir, please. I need... I need..."

"I know what you need, Cassia," Severus breathed, and took himself completely out of her, as well as removed his fingers from in between her legs.

"What?!" she cried out then, fear in her voice as he left her. "Sir, no, please, please! I've learned my lesson, I promise!"

Severus responded by slamming back into her without ceremony, and moving two fingers onto either side of her clitoris, thus, to create a delightful friction, that Cassia seemed to readily respond to. He pushed himself closer still, so that he was leaning across her backside, and was able to whisper into her ear. "I know you've learned, Cassia."

"R-really, sir?" she whispered. "You know?"

"I do," he whispered back, and sped up as much as he could from the position he was in. "I am going to count to ten. Do you understand me?"

"You're going to count to ten, sir."

"That's right. Once I get to ten, you're going to come for me, Cassia," he ordered her quietly, which caused her to shake around him in anticipation. "Have you got that?"

"I got that, sir."

"Very good," he told her, pulling away from her, and pounding into her faster than he'd ever thought possible. "Count with me, Cassia. One."

"Two, sir," she said.

"Three," Severus said.

"Four, sir," Cassia managed to get out.

"Five. I need to hear you counting, Cassia."

"S-six, sir," she stammered.

"Seven. Almost there now, Cassia. Almost there."

"Eight, sir, eight..."

"Nine. All right, Cassia."

"Ten! Ten! Ten!" Cassia moaned, her knees nearly giving out.

"Come for me, Cassia! Now!" Severus ordered, and slammed into her one final time, emptying himself inside her.

"_Severus_!" Cassia screamed at the duel sensations of stimulation, her knees quaking beneath her, as she felt something come out of her, where Severus was touching her, and let out a squeak, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was. "I-I'm so sorry," she said, covering her face with her hands as she began sobbing, feeling completely embarrassed.

Severus reached out then, gently turning Cassia over and taking her hands from her face. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about, my dear."

Cassia blinked. "There... There's not?"

"No," Severus replied, smiling down at her. "The female orgasm, while considered a myth by some, is actually quite real."

Cassia blinked, lowering her eyes at the clear liquid that was still coming out of her. "I... I came, literally?" she whispered.

Severus nodded. "Yes, my dear, you did. While not every woman has the capability of doing so, when a woman does, it means she thoroughly enjoyed herself."

Cassia smiled, her flush diminishing. "Well, I'm glad you're not offended."

"Offended? Why would I be offended, sweet?"

"Well, because it's all over us..."

"We have magic for that, do we not?"

Cassia swallowed, but nodded. "Yes, I suppose we do. Wait. What are you...?"

Severus allowed her question to trail off without answering it right away, and stuck his fingers inside her for a moment, getting a moan from Cassia, before withdrawing them, and putting them into his mouth. "You taste sensational."

Cassia colored. "Really?"

"Yes," Severus declared, doing the same thing with his fingers again, and offered them to Cassia, who willingly opened her mouth and sucked on them. "Next time," Severus whispered to her, "I will make you come again. Only that time, you will do so directly in my mouth."

Cassia felt her entire body warm at the promise. "I think I would like that."

Severus leaned forward then, capturing her lips with his. "I know you will," he said, allowing his tongue to meet hers.

. . .

Cassia was doing her best to write a report on what was appropriate magic to use in front of Muggle families who had magical family members when a familiar face caught her attention in the doorway of her cubicle. "Kingsley?" she said, instructing her quill to finish for her, based on the notes she'd gathered. "Everything all right?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Kingsley said, shaking his head. "It seems as though young Mr. Potter and his friend, Mr. Weasley, have taken it upon themselves to fly Arthur Weasley's enchanted Flying Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow onto the Hogwarts grounds."

Cassia sighed. "Those boys," she muttered, remembering when Ron, Fred, and George had used the car to rescue Harry from Privet Drive, one month prior. "What's the plan?"

"I've got to appear before the Wizengamot tomorrow morning, so I've got to go over my testimony beforehand. I suggested to Scrimgeour that you take this one, Cassia, as Tonks and Alastor are on guard duty elsewhere. Think you're up for it?"

Cassia nodded. "I've established a rapport with both boys," she said, getting to her feet and putting her robe on around her shoulders. "Perhaps seeing an Auror will at least attempt to straighten the two of them out," she said, moving past Kingsley, and he patted her on her shoulder as she did so. She headed downstairs and into the Floo Network, already having a sinking feeling where the boys would end up, and went through the flames, arriving into Severus's office at Hogwarts, just as Severus was pointing at the boys.

The potions master was in his element, although Cassia could clearly see, while meeting Minerva's eyes over his shoulder, that they mutually agreed him to be out of line. "These boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry. As such—"

"I am well-aware of our by-laws, Severus, having written quite a few of them myself," Albus said, a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face. "However, as Head of Gryffindor House, it is for Professor McGonagall to determine the appropriate action."

Ron lowered his head. "We'll go and get our stuff, then."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?" Minerva asked him.

"You're going to expel us, aren't you?" he asked.

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," Minerva told him, and he and Harry shared a relieved look. "But I must impress on both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight, and you will both receive detention."

"And, now, it is for our government official here tonight to determine if further action will be taken against the two of you," Albus said, and Harry and Ron both looked shocked that Cassia had arrived soundlessly, as did Severus.

"Well, first of all, headmaster, it is plain to see the inappropriateness of the situation, given that Mr. Filch clearly knew where to take the boys for proper disciplinary action, and instead, resorted to fear tactics by taking them to Professor Snape," Cassia said.

"Quite right," Albus said with a nod, turning to Argus. "If this happens again, I highly suggest that you think of a way to quickly gather your things from the caretaker's office, Argus. Such impropriety will not be tolerated a second time."

Argus glared at Cassia, who stared at him impassively, until he swept from the room, carrying his beloved cat, Mrs. Norris, with him.

"Second of all," Cassia continued, "I take it that these young men know the seriousness of the situation placed upon them. I take it the journey was not an easy one?" she asked.

"I almost fell out of the car," Harry confessed.

Cassia swallowed. "Did you now?"

"He did," Ron said, speaking up. "The train could've hit him because of it. Not to mention that that tree tried to _kill_ us!"

"I think a warning on behalf of the ministry, given your young age, it being your first offense, Professor McGonagall already assigning you detention, and the likely tongue-lashing that you'll get from your mother, Mr. Weasley, is quite enough for tonight. Might I suggest grabbing a couple of sandwiches from the kitchen, before heading straight to bed?"

"A marvelous suggestion, Cassia!" Albus said. "Minerva, why don't we escort the boys, just to make sure they don't get lost?"

"A wonderful idea, Albus," Minerva said with a nod, and they escorted the two of them out, the potions classroom door shutting behind them.

"I could have handled that, you know," Severus said.

Cassia rolled her eyes, and warded the door behind them. "I'm quite sure you could," she assured him, and pushed him into the desk chair. "Now, it looks to me as if you were grading some summer homework before Filch dragged the boys here."

Severus nodded. "I was."

Cassia smiled down at him and knelt before him, running her hands along his trousers. "Perhaps a bit of after-dinner relaxation in is order," she said, and crawled beneath his desk, unzipping his trousers as she went. "Talk to me, Severus," Cassia told him, reaching into the fly and removing his already erect member, which she painstakingly ran her hands along. "There must be something else bothering you..."

"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," he growled.

"Yes?" Cassia asked, sticking her tongue out and dragging it along the head of Severus's cock. "I was unaware that you liked any of them, given that you want the position..."

"If they are...competent in that field," he said, his breath coming out in pants, "then of course I will put my own selfish wants aside..."

"Who is it this year?" Cassia asked coquettishly, before taking Severus in her mouth and deep throating him, which caused him to groan aloud.

"Gilderoy Lockhart," Severus growled, in a combination of anger and pleasure, as Cassia's lips went completely around towards the base of his prick.

"Hmmm," Cassia said, which cased Severus to spasm slightly. "Don't be greedy, Severus," she said, swatting him gently on the leg as she pumped him for a moment. "I never liked that pretty-boy anyhow," she muttered.

"Why? He's won _Witch Weekly_'_s_ Most-Charming Smile Award five times," Severus muttered, as if he had something distasteful in his mouth.

Cassia gently pushed Severus backwards then, so as she could look up at him. "I prefer a more serious approach to life. Besides," she whispered, blowing her hot breath onto Severus's member, which caused him to twitch in his chair, "we all know he's a fraud anyway." She smirked up at him, and Severus's black eyes bulged then, as she leaned down and took him completely in her mouth for him to see, never breaking eye contact with him.

"Cassia..." Severus whispered, tangling his fingers in her hair. "Cassia..."

"That's right. Go on, Severus," she whispered around his prick, until he finally came into her mouth, before he yanked her up from the floor and positioned her on his lap. "Hello, there," she said, leaning down and kissing him. She paused for a moment, biting her lip in a moment of uncertainty.

"What is it?" Severus asked.

"Well... I was wondering if you were doing this with anyone else..."

"'This' being...?"

"What we're doing," she whispered.

Severus took ahold of Cassia's hips. "I've never done _this_ with anyone."

Cassia blinked. "Certainly you're experienced..."

"In fucking, yes. In sex, yes. In the skilled art of making love?" he asked, slowly permitting his hand to slip into her panties, beneath her Auror robes and uniform. "Not as much as what I've picked up since we've begun to do what we're doing."

Cassia swallowed then as she attempted to mount his fingers. "Y-yes. Yes, I see."

"You're not doing _this_ with anyone else, are you?"

Cassia immediately shook her head. "N-no. Nobody's touched me except for you, Severus."

Severus growled then, nipping at her earlobe. "That's what I like to hear," he replied, before banishing the work from the surface of her desk, and slamming Cassia upon it, banishing her clothes from her body, and smirked down at her. "I am going to fuck you with my mouth, Cassia, until you come into it. And then, I'm going to fuck you so hard against this desk with my cock, to the point where I'll remember it forever."

Cassia sighed, watching as Severus knelt before her. "Put it in the pensieve," she whispered, and grinned down at him.

"I just might," he replied, and knelt closer to claim his prize.

. . .

"Boys, come on, it's been a long day, and I'm quite sure you would rather be going to dinner right now, but I have a report to write, and you two need to cooperate."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Cassia, we've told you everything we know," he whined, chewing on the package of Gummi Slugs that Cassia had brought him.

Harry was more reserved as he chewed his Chocolate Frogs delicately, also a gift from Cassia, which he had accepted happily. "It's because she's a Muggle-Born that she's been petrified," he said, his tone slightly bitter. "The monster that's getting her is somewhere in the castle, in the Chamber of Secrets, but we haven't been able to find it yet."

"She had a mirror with her, that's what McGonagall said when she brought us into the hospital wing to see her," Ron put in, still chewing rather loudly. "We think that she saw the reflection of the beast, because if she looked into its eyes..."

"She'd be killed," Cassia whispered, shaking her head as she nodded at her quill to keep right on writing. She bit her lip. "Any idea how the beast is getting out of the chamber, in order to organize these attacks?"

Harry shook his head, and Ron stuffed more slugs into his mouth.

Cassia sighed, motioning for her quill to stop, whereupon she put away her notebook and put it into her Auror robes. "Look, I don't want to pull rank on either of you two, but you need to know what you're dealing with here. It's not just me, but the entire ministry, who wants this information, and Albus specifically asked for me to take the report, because the two of you are so familiar with me. however, If you refuse to cooperate, I've got to let the proper authorities know, and you'll get into trouble. I'm sure you've got a plan to save the day, Harry, and while I can't stop you from doing so, I just hope you'll be careful."

"I will be," Harry replied.

Cassia bit her lip. "All right, off the record—nobody has to know. How is the basilisk getting around the castle?"

"The pipes," Ron said at last, and Harry nodded, confirming it.

"Hermione figured that out," Harry told her. "She was leaving the library to tell us about it, but the beast got to her first."

"All right, then," Cassia said. "I'll let the ministry know in my report that you've no idea how the basilisk managed to get to Hermione, merely that it's been confirmed by Madam Pomfrey that it did get to her. All right?"

"Fair," Ron said quietly.

"I can accept that," Harry told her.

Cassia smiled at the two of them. "All right, then," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll go and let Albus know that the two of you were very cooperative. See you soon, yeah?"

"Soon," Ron said.

"Definitely," Harry said with a smile.

Cassia smiled at them both and left the little alcove near the hospital wing, and made her way upstairs to the headmaster's office. Just as she turned the corner, she saw Severus leaving the office, and let out a small noise of protest when he yanked her into an empty classroom upon seeing her. "What in god's name is—?!"

Severus, who had warded the door as she shouted at him, promptly slammed her up against the wall and kissed her. "I told Albus that I'd be seeing you first," he whispered, his breath hot on her throat as his hands ran over the entire length of her body in the darkness. "It's been absolute hell these past few weeks, Cassia. Neither of us can get away..."

"These are uncertain times, Severus," Cassia said, her voice filled with regret as she unbuckled Severus's belt, followed by his trousers, in the darkness. "But what you have to understand completely here is," she said, a little sigh escaping her as Severus found his way inside her, "that the both of us have jobs to do."

"Get anything out of those two Gryffindor goblins?" Severus asked.

Cassia rolled her eyes in the darkness, dragging Severus's lips back to hers, whereupon she kissed him for all he was worth. "Let's not forget that your snakes are likely to say disparaging things about the Muggle-Borns that have been petrified."

Severus growled, nudging Cassia's chin upwards and nipping at her neck, as he promptly slammed into her, which caused a groan to escape from her lips. "I'll have you know that I would never tolerate such talk."

"Did you give Draco detention, or take house points, when he called Hermione that despicable word?" she said, meaning to sound enraged, but it came off as husky with desire.

"While I don't condone that behavior, Cassia," Severus said, pressing repetitive kisses along her neck and jawline, "I was not there to witness it and, unfortunately, I am not at liberty to take point away without hard evidence."

"The Gryffindor quidditch team was there, and you know it!" she shot back.

"So was the Slytherin team!" Severus growled at her. "Do you honestly think that they would speak ill of their new seeker?"

"Likely not, considering that he bought his way in with Nimbus 2001's," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Severus let out a livid noise, whereupon he grabbed Cassia by the hips and brought her over to an empty desk, which he proceeded to pound her on, rendering her temporarily speechless. "I don't like that tone, Cassia."

"I don't care what you like or don't like," Cassia told him, equally irritated as she wrapped her legs around his torso. "The point is, Draco is turning into a clone of his father, who is hardly a decent parental figure, given what he's teaching his son about treating others."

"That's enough, Cassia."

"Oh, no, it's never enough," Cassia said, her voice rippling with passion, which made Severus pound her even deeper. "The fact that you _associate_ with those people is downright disgusting, Severus!"

"Why should it matter to you?" he sneered.

"Because you're better than that, and you know it!" she cried out. "You're better than all of them, and I felt like I wanted to cut out my tongue rather than speak disparagingly and minorities within the Wizarding World. It made me sick."

"I still don't understand why it should matter..."

"You know I fucking love you, Severus," she said, still glaring up at him as he went deeper inside her still, causing her breath to catch. "I don't want you to ever make sacrifices. If that's how you think, tell me right now."

Severus let out a groan, spilling himself into Cassia, and she came a moment later, shouting his name and holding onto him. Severus pulled back after a moment then, and sighed. "It's all part of my spy work, Cassia," he said, his voice far more gentle than it had been. "I suppose now would be a good time as any to say what our intentions are."

"Intensions?" Cassia asked, unlocking her legs from around his torso, before casting a wandless Cleaning Charm over them both, and fixed any tears or rips in their clothes. "I didn't know you had any towards me, Severus, other than keeping me and the children safe."

"Oh, I've got plenty more than that, I assure you," Severus replied, buttoning up his robes and watching as Cassia straightened her own.

"Yeah?" she asked, moving towards the door to take the wards down. "Like what?"

Severus promptly stopped her, slamming her up against the wall, devouring her mouth as quickly as he dared. "Are you mine?" he whispered.

Cassia looked up at him in the darkness. "What?" she whispered back.

"Are you...my girlfriend?" he asked, the word feeling strange in his mouth.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "I'm yours, and I'm your girlfriend. If don't feel comfortable with reciprocating, I do understand..."

"No," Severus replied, leaning down and kissing her again. "I'm yours, too, and all that that entails, Cassia."

Cassia swallowed then, putting her arms around Severus and kissing him. "Great. We're in agreement, then."

Severus took the wards off the doors, and stepped back, allowing Cassia to walk through. "I shall see you soon."

"Soon, yes," Cassia said with a nod, walking towards Albus's office. "Soon is good."

. . .

The fact that it was Harry himself who had managed to free Dobby, by putting a sock into Tom Riddle's diary, had Cassia laughing throughout the summer ahead. It was a peaceful summer, with lots of explorative lovemaking on Severus's part, and Cassia found herself satiated, and then some, as the weeks went by. She didn't expect anything as summer just began to fade, until the alarm went off at the ministry, and she ran, quickly finding Kingsley.

"We're summoned?" she asked, straightening her robes as she ran after him.

"Yes," he told her.

"Where to?" she asked as they ran for the stairs, as it was an emergency, and the lifts would likely take too long.

"The Hogwarts Express," Kingsley told her. "There's been sightings of dementors in the area, and we think that there could be an attack on the train."

"Oh, Merlin, no!" Cassia cried out, summoning a bar of chocolate from the wizarding vending machine as they ran by, and, once they reached the Apparition safe point, and they gripped each other's hands, before landing somewhere on the train tracks. The screams of the dementors met them, as a fog came down upon the terrain and, peering through it, Cassia saw the train just ahead. "They've stopped it!" she shouted, and her, Kingsley, Tonks, Moody, Everest Williamson, Scrimgeour, and other Aurors dashed forward.

"Get onto the train!" Kingsley shouted at Cassia. "Reports say some got aboard."

"Oh, Merlin," Cassia said, going onto the final car and going up the trio of stairs at the run. She unlocked the door quickly, and saw that the coldness had driven everyone back into their compartments, and for good reason. Cassia could see her breath as she walked along, and saw the cloaked, gray figure just ahead of her, appearing as if it was going into one of the compartments, and Cassia shook her head. "Not today. Expecto Patronum!" she shouted, and the beam of light flowed forth from her wand, and the bobcat darted forward, banishing the creature out the train window.

It was then that she saw a second dementor, towards the opposite end of the train, but a beam of light suddenly escaped from the compartment it had broken into, and Cassia's jaw dropped at the sight of the wolf Patronus going after the beast. She walked forwards, still cold, and fished the bar of chocolate from her pocket, nibbling at it. It gave her back her strength as the door to that final compartment opened, and an exhausted and disheveled looking man came out.

"Ah, good of the ministry to send you," he said, smiling at her with kind eyes as the train started up again, but Cassia knew she could leave outside the gates of Hogwarts later.

"Ah, Remus Lupin," she said, recognizing him from Severus's description, although he seemed far friendlier than he had in his memories, or Severus's recounting.

"Do we know one another?" he asked.

Cassia shook her head. "No," she replied, putting out her hand. "Cassia Serbus."

"Ah, yes, one of the youngest Aurors," he said, and shook her head. "Pleasure to meet you, Auror Serbus."

"It's just Cassia."

"Then I'm Remus."

"Noted," she said with a bright smile, shaking his hand, and drew back immediately once they'd shaken, a gasp coming out of her lips.

"What is it?"

Cassia looked around then, and quickly put up a silencing ward. "I'm a Seer, and one touch on anyone gives me information," she whispered to him.

Remus paled. "So... You know that I, shall we say, fear the full moon?"

Cassia nodded. "I do. But rest assured, I won't say a word. I'm a Gryffindor, just like you, Remus, and I don't like getting information and turning it in on good people." She hesitated. "It is not the same thing, by far, but being a Seer hasn't made me very many friends either. I got beaten by my family for it, and lots of other things they deemed to be infractions. There are many of us who don't have it so easy."

Remus sighed. "I am sorry for it, Cassia."

"As am I," she told him. "But it is lovely to meet you, and know that you've got a friend in me, if you ever should need it."

"You told him you would be his friend?! You _cannot_ be serious!" Severus said, throwing himself back onto the bed later that evening, when she'd joined him in his private chambers, after the welcoming feast.

"Yes, I did tell him that," she said, tucking herself into his arm, which he put around her. "I'm sure the two of you had your differences growing up..."

"Differences? He _tormented_ me!"

"Yes, yes, I know, love," Cassia said, kissing his temple. "But you were all teenagers then. Many people take quite a few years to grow up. I'm quite positive that Remus has learned from his frequent mistakes over the years."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I'm sure..."

"And you, mister, will be brewing Wolfsbane Potion for him," she said.

Severus sighed. "Albus got to you."

"Yes, he most certainly did," Cassia replied. "He's one of the few who knows about me being a Seer, and of my influence on you. So, despite everything, it's in his contract that he gets the potion, and I want you to be sure you brew it for him. Are we clear?"

Severus grimaced. "Yes, Mum."

"And I think it's time for me to take my leave," Cassia said, moving to exit the bed and gather her clothes.

"No, you don't," Severus said, grabbing her and rolling so that he was on top of her. "Stay awhile, Cassia. Spend the night."

Cassia shook her head. "Not tonight, love," she said, and kissed him on the lips. "I have to be home to make sure the twins are all right, and I have an early day at the ministry tomorrow to present my report to Kingsley about the dementors."

Severus sighed, but released his hold on Cassia, permitting her to get up and gather her robes and things. "You'll come back soon?"

Cassia grinned at him, summoning her clothes onto their appropriate places onto her body, before she leaned down and kissed him. "Always," she whispered, before she went to the Floo and returned to Prince Manor.

. . .

"Severus," Cassia groaned from beneath him, arching into him. It was the first time that they would be all together for the twins' birthday, their second. They were actually making an effort to be a family behind closed doors, and now that they'd been doing this relationship thing for a good six months, it was amazing that they'd actually made time for one another. "Severus, more, please," she begged.

"Yes," he moaned into her mouth. "Do you like that?"

"Yes, please, more," she begged him.

"Lily, yes... Lily..." He whispered against her throat, and Cassia stiffened beneath him. "I've always loved you, Lily..."

Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, and a lump rose in her throat as she pushed Severus off from her, and wrapped her comforter around her. She was glaring at him, tears suspended on her lashes, as Severus stared at her, shocked att he turn of events. "You called me 'Lily'," she whispered to him then, her tone broken.

Severus shook his head. "Cassia, I didn't..."

"No," she said, summoning her robe, which she managed to put on, wrapping it around her frame as she continued glaring at him. "Is that all this is for you? Is that all I am to you? Am I merely a replacement for the woman you wanted, but couldn't have?"

Severus grimaced. "Cassia..."

"No, answer the question!" Cassia said, her voice trembling. "Was I just a replacement? Or have you been thinking of her the entire time we've been doing this? Is that how you're able to get off so well every time, because you're imagining her face on mine?"

"Cassia, that's not what this is. You've got to understand..."

"Oh, I understand, all right!" she said, darting up from the bed as he reached for her. She began throwing his clothes at him. "She was your first and only love, and you just can't get over her, isn't that it?" she demanded. "You just can't get over the fact that I'm a Half-Blood, or a Gryffindor, or an American, can you? Lily was beautiful, and I'm not," she said, her voice breaking a little at the end, "plus, you loved her, and you can't love me, clearly."

"Cassia, please, if you would just..."

"No! I won't!" she said, her voice trembling as Severus began dressing himself. "I can't believe I let myself get sucked into your version of feelings! You could never love me, and I hate myself for allowing myself for sacrificing what I wanted out of life for you. I hate that I fell in love with someone like you, Severus, someone who could never love me back. And I actually had your children," she said, her voice breaking completely then. "Dear Merlin, what was I thinking?" she asked herself.

"Maybe you're right," Severus replied, and Cassia stared up at him through her viel of tears. "I suppose I wasn't over her yet..."

"Stop. Just stop it," she whispered.

"Cassia..."

"No, don't talk to me!" she shouted at him. "Please," she said, opening the door behind her, "just please go."

"Cassia, you don't mean—"

"I do mean that! Get out, now!" she shouted at him, and Severus walked through the door then, without looking back. Cassia kicked the door closed behind him then, and sank to her knees, putting her face in her hands and sobbing.

. . .

Cassia did her best to smile and accept the Auror Department throwing her a makeshift office birthday party when she turned twenty-one, but she just couldn't allow herself to be happy in a complete manner. She trudged back to her area of the office after the obligatory speech and thank-you's for the well-wishes, with a slice of cake, and chewed it, sitting in her cubicle. She smiled genuinely when Tonks poked her head in.

"Everest Williamson was staring at you the entire time," she said, stepping inside and almost tripping on the edge of the cubicle, before ridding Cassia's face of some icing.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Tonks..."

"He's good-looking, age appropriate, kind, considerate, a Ravenclaw, and you work in the same department," Tonks said with a slight shrug. "I don't see the issue."

"Severus and I ended things less than two months ago..."

"So it's high time to see what else is out there," Tonks said, pulling her to her feet. "Oh. And there he is, right on cue," Tonks said, casting a Cleaning Charm onto Cassia before she slipped from her friend's cubicle. "Williamson," she said, nodding at him.

"Tonks," he said, nodding back at her, before coming towards Cassia. "Happy Birthday," he said to her with a nervous smile.

Cassia smiled. "Thank you."

"Listen, I'm not one to beat around the bush, so I'll just ask... Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?"

Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Dinner?"

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "If your house-elf can spare you for the evening. I know that Seb and Cici must love their mummy very much, but I'd very much like to take you out. Shall we say Friday night?" he asked.

"Well, um..."

"She's free," Tonks said, popping up in her cubicle. "I live in her manor as well, you see. I'd be happy to help Perry watch the twins on Friday for you, Cassia."

Cassia swallowed then, flashing Tonks a, _I_'_m going to kill you for this later_ look before she turned back to Everest. "I'd love to," she said, and grinned at him. "Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Muggle London, or somewhere else?"

"We could go to The Leaky, if you like, but The Three Broomsticks could also be fun. Tonks mentioned you liked pub food," he put in.

"The Leaky would be fine, and, yes, I do," Cassia said, surprised that Everest had taken the time to glean information from Tonks on her behalf.

"Great, Leaky it is, then," Everest replied. "Want to meet there, or should I fetch you?"

"We can meet there," Cassia replied, and noted the slight disappointment on Everest's face. "But I'd be very appreciative if you took me home afterwards."

Everest smiled. "Great," he said, and stuck out his hand. "Friday. Seven work for you?"

Cassia looked at his hand for a moment, thought better of it, and kissed him on the cheek, but it did no good—she still saw a vision. "Great," she said, and watched as Everest walked away. She sank into her chair, thinking over what she had seen.

"_He's back!" Cassia screamed at him. "How can you not believe it?"_

"_How can you believe the word of a fourteen-year-old boy?! There's no way he's back, and that boy is untrustworthy. Fudge says so."_

"_Fudge is _wrong_! I _know_ him. He wouldn't lie about this. He's the one who killed his parents and saw that other boy get killed, right in front of his eyes! Why would he lie about something so abhorrent as murder?"_

"_He is a child, Cassia," came Everest's cold reply. "Why can't you see that?"_

"_Why can't you see that even children can tell the truth?"_

"Cassia," Tonks said, and Cassia turned to look at her. "You all right?"

"I am, for now," she said, swallowing slightly and leaning towards Tonks. "But this, me and Everest, it's not going to end well."

"Meaning?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I think it's got something to do with Harry, and a disagreement we have about him. I don't know much else."

Tonks shook her head. "Maybe it's wrong."

"Let's hope so," Cassia replied with a shudder. "I don't even want to think about what'll go wrong if this turns out to be right."


	9. More in Sorrow than in Anger

Cassia swallowed as she and Everest Apparated onto the grounds of the Burrow in Devon, Circe all snuggled up warm in her arms, with Everest sporting Sebastian in his. "You would tell me if you weren't ready for this, wouldn't you?" she asked, smiling up at him as she attempted to brush the snow off his winter cloak.

Everest chuckled, and even Cassia had to admit that he looked rather dashing with snow on the ends of his dark blond hair. "I assure you, I am indeed ready for this, Cassia," he said, slipping his free hand into hers. "You've got nothing to worry about. Arthur sees me enough at work to know what kind of man I am, and I'm sure your surrogate family will accept me with open arms, once they see how happy I make you."

Cassia smiled up at him. "You do make me happy," she replied, surprised that she was able to admit it aloud, and Everest kissed her softly.

"We'd best get in, then," he said, squeezing her hand briefly before letting it go. "I have the utmost confidence in our Warming Charms, but I'm sure the family will want to snatch at Circe and Sebastian as soon as we get inside."

Cassia and Everest trekked through the snow towards the front door of the Weasley house, and Cassia opened the door with a, "Molly! Arthur! Everest and I are here with the twins!" before they slipped though and shut the door behind them.

"Oh, darling, you're here at last!" Molly said, dashing from the kitchen and embracing Cassia carefully, seeing that Circe was asleep in her arms. "Oh, and Everest, so wonderful to have you here, dear," she said, and shook his hand with a smile on her face, pleased to see that Everest had banished the snow that had clung to them. "Heinrich and Oriana won't mind that you're not spending Christmas Eve with them?"

"No, but I've sworn to spend all day tomorrow with them," Everest said, smiling down at Molly as he banished his and Cassia's cloaks onto the pegs by the door. "Corentin is bringing home his fiancée tomorrow for the first time and the whole family is due to be there."

"The girls got off school, then?" Cassia asked, gently spelling Circe and Sebastian's hats, scarves, jackets, and gloves off, before transfiguring their boots into house shoes. "I didn't know that Ravenclaws wanted to skive off work, even for the holidays," she joked, referring to Everest's younger sisters, Adelphia, Belinda and Cordelia, who had all been sorted into Ravenclaw like their father, while Everest and his older brother, Corentin, had made Gryffindor like their mother.

Everest chuckled at the implication as Molly guided the two of them through to the living room, where Bill, Fred, George, and Ginny were all scattered about. "They've agreed to have a few hours for family this year."

"That's a wise decision," Molly said, nodding at the thought of it as Arthur came into the room, beaming at the sight of Cassia and Everest together.

"Cassia, dear," Arthur said, stepping forward and kissing her on the cheek. "And Everest, we're so pleased you could join us," he said, shaking his hand as Molly had done, although Arthur took the opportunity to clap him on the shoulder.

"Hi, Bill," Cassia said, accepting his kiss on the cheek, and a nod when he motioned his desire to take Circe for a few moments. "Where's Charlie?" she asked, looking around as she handed her daughter off to the oldest Weasley sibling.

"Upstairs, wrapping gifts. Ever the procrastinator," Bill said with a good-natured eye roll. "He did ask for you to come up, once you got here, though."

"Sounds great," she said, turning around to see that Everest had handed Sebastian over to Arthur, who was still speaking to him. "Ev?" she asked, and her boyfriend looked up at her. "I'm heading upstairs to see Charlie. You all right down here?"

Everest smiled and nodded; he and Charlie had quickly come to an understanding in the wake of his romantic relationship with Cassia, with Charlie promptly coming out and explaining that he merely saw Cassia as a sister, so Everest had no just cause to be threatened. Everest, on the other hand, informed his girlfriend's close friend that he trusted her completely, and even as she left the room and left him with the Weasley family, he felt at ease.

Cassia gave a small wave to Fred, George, and Ginny on the way out of the living room, a bit perplexed that Ginny didn't seem more enthusiastic about her arrival. Cassia chalked it up to simple exhaustion, given that she'd only begun at Hogwarts in September, and was likely just not used to getting so much sleep during the holidays. Smiling to herself as she climbed the stairs, she remembered Molly and Arthur informing her a few days previously that Percy and Ron had stayed behind over the holidays; Percy, because he wanted to Head Boy duties in the hopes that he a decent position at the Ministry of Magic the following year, and his relationship with pretty Ravenclaw student, Penelope Clearwater; and Ron, because he was catching up on some back assignments with Harry and Hermione.

Cassia smirked to herself, and didn't believe a word of Ron's explanation, given their incident with Polyjuice Potion the year before, but she knew that clarification, of some kind, would likely be forthcoming soon. Once she got to the top of the stairs, she made sure to count the doors before she found the proper one, before she tapped on it and invited herself inside. "Hi, there, Charlie! Happy Christmas!" she said, throwing the door open and waving at him.

"Cassia!" Charlie shouted excitedly, throwing himself off his bed and dashing towards her, grabbing her up in his arms and swinging her around. "Happy Christmas," he said, finally easing her back onto the ground and kissing her on the cheek. "How are my godchildren? Leave them downstairs with Ev, I see?"

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Your father and Bill kidnapped them."

"Dad's a sucker for kids," Charlie said with a mighty laugh. "Ever since Bill and me graduated, he's been hinting at grandkids. Not that Circe and Sebastian don't count!"

Cassia smirked and crossed her arms. "What are the laws on wizards adopting dragons?" she asked him, trying not to laugh.

"Permits are required—they're beasts," Charlie told her firmly. "Remember the incident that Ron found himself tied up in with Hagrid? Gryffindor lost a hundred and fifty points for that alone, and that's only because him, Harry, and Hermione were out after curfew."

Cassia sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. "Good thing you only have to work with beasts that breathe fire, and it's not so close to home..."

Charlie searched Cassia's face. "Ministry too much for you?"

"They've got everyone available in the Auror Department working round-the-clock shifts to re-capture Sirius Black," she said, her tone bitter.

"He killed twelve Muggles, Cassia," Charlie said firmly. "If you ask me, a life sentence in Azkaban is a light one."

Cassia shook her head. "No, Charlie, it's more than that. Tonks..." She hesitated for a moment before she warded the door, as she knew she couldn't talk about this with the twins potentially in earshot, as they could likely run to Harry with the information. "Tonks is his cousin, and she claimed that Sirius couldn't have done something like that. Something's off here, Charlie," she went on, shaking her head.

"How so?"

"I saw a memory of hers, when I looked into her mind, the day I met her," Cassia said, recalling Tonks running around with the black dog. "Sirius Black must have had something happen to him in order to make him go off the rails like that and hand over Lily and James Potter to Lord Voldemort. James Potter was his best friend, Charlie. Unless you're under the Imperius Curse, you don't hand over your best friend to him."

"They're saying he went mad, and that's why he did it," Charlie replied, running his hands up Cassia's arm in an effort to calm her down. "You've seen his face in _The Profit_, Cassia, plastered all over the front page. The man looks like a bloody lunatic."

"I think if I met him, and could see into his mind, we could figure out what really happened on that day, Charlie," Cassia said. "Tonks is my friend, and I know she's biased about Black because he's her family, but there was something in her words about him, and the memory that I saw of them together. He was too kind," she whispered. "Kind people don't turn their best friends over to someone like _him_..."

"There's something else, isn't there?" Charlie asked. "Something you're not telling me."

Cassia swallowed. "You're right."

"What is it?" Charlie wanted to know. "What's really bothering you here?"

Cassia sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "Sirius is Harry's godfather," she whispered then, and Charlie drew back with a look of horror on his face.

. . .

"I hope my presence doesn't upset you," Severus said as he stood upon the threshold of Prince Manor, the snow coming down in thick flurries behind him. "However, I did not want my children to go through a holiday without gifts."

Cassia stood to the side. "By all means come inside, Severus." She waited until he'd walked all the way in before she shut the door behind him, pulling her gray Weasley sweater from her eighteenth birthday closer around her, and scooping up Amara in her arms as she inspected their latest visitor. "The tree is in the parlor. Feel free to go on through," she told him. "I'll let the kids open those in the morning."

"Thank you," Severus said, and kept walking, Cassia just behind him. "I take it you enjoyed the gathering at the Burrow the night before."

"Yes, it was lovely, thank you," Cassia confirmed, watching as he scattered the gifts in an elegant and precise manner as she stroked Amara behind the ears. "The twins had a wonderful time and Molly and Arthur spoiled them rotten."

"I'm glad they had a good time," Severus said quietly, looking up at the tree once he had finished dispersing the gifts. He turned to the immaculate hearth just beside it; the fire in the place was lit and it roared becomingly. Severus turned his glance upwards, to the mantle, which had a rather large Christmas garland hanging off both ends, the stockings hanging just beneath it, and several magical photographs stuck in an interspersing manner throughout the garland itself. Several were of the children, a few of Cassia with them, a few of Cassia and Tonks with them, one or two of Tonks or Charlie with them, and, finally, two with Cassia and Everest Williamson with the twins, and the other with Cassia and Everest together at the Burrow. "This is your new paramour, then, I take it?" he asked, looking at the picture but not bothering to pick it up.

"That's Everest," Cassia replied, not responding to the biting nature of Severus's tone of voice, as she didn't have the energy to get into an argument with him. Cassia was more relieved than ever to have Perry with her, and she had proved indispensable, now that she was working so hard with the ministry to hunt down Black. "And 'paramour' implies that one of the parties is married to another, or that the pair are lovers. We're not merely lovers, Severus, because Everest is my boyfriend," she informed him patiently. "That's why I brought him with me and the twins to the Burrow last night, so as to meet Molly and Arthur. We've been together a month now and things were at a good place and we thought it was time."

"Ah, yes, the traditional meeting of the parents, or, in this case, parental figures," Severus said in a sardonic tone of voice.

Cassia felt herself bristling, but she still refused to rise to his temper. "We're happy," she told him softly then. "He makes me happy. We have long and drawn-out conversations about the law and the task force we're both on, at the moment."

"Who is heading it?"

"Kingsley's the captain of ours," Cassia said.

"This is about Black, then?"

Cassia swallowed. "It is. I suppose you only know about such things because Albus keeps you informed, due to your duties."

Severus's lips set in a thin line then, but he did not rise to the potential bait. "You know about his relationship with Potter, then?"

"Of course I do," Cassia replied as Amara darted out of her arms and went to the kitchen, likely to bother Perry for some more food. "It's in the files we've got of him, regarding his crimes, magical abilities, and potential whereabouts, now that he's broken out of Azkaban." She shuddered for a moment. "They say he managed to get thin enough to slip through the bars of the cell they kept them in. Lack of eating is a sign of serious mental illness..."

Severus sneered. "And what would you know about that?"

"Other than an eating disorder, Severus, it is a sign of depression and anxiety, which I have," she told him, her voice quite calm, and Severus shut his mouth. "As I'm sure you're also aware of, I also have post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. I don't need a Muggle therapist or a Mind Healer to tell me these things; I've known about the depression and anxiety thing officially since the age of eight, and was diagnosed by a Muggle therapist when I was thirteen-years-old. There is still a stigma of Mind Healers, that I'm sure you know of, so my wonderful mother provided me with documents with a false identity so as I could get diagnosed properly, within the Muggle world."

"And the obsessive compulsive disorder?"

"When I was eleven, after starting at Ilvermorny," she replied off-handedly. "I wanted to present myself as perfect to the Wizarding World, in the hopes that I wouldn't be rejected. And as for the post-traumatic stress disorder, I think you know very well when that began. It began the first time the family Crup was instructed to attack me, for being kind to our house-elves. Even though it is a devastating thing to happen to me, I wear those scars and the scars inflicted upon my hands via the Cruciatus Curse, because it is a constant reminder that, even though I went through painful times in my past, I survived," she said, forming her hand into a fist and thumping it onto her chest. "I survived, and nobody can ever take that away from me. And not only did I survive, but I escaped that world and made a better life for myself, with friends and family, including two beautiful children who love me, and a boyfriend who just may be on the road to starting to. So, if you don't mind, Severus, I would appreciate it if you would keep your negativity regarding my life—which is perfectly acceptable by today's standards—to yourself. It's your own fault that you lost me; it is not because I am insecure or clingy. It is because you made a promise that you could not keep; you were either not ready or unwilling to be mine, and merely pitied me because I had decided to keep your children. But I won't permit negative influences to drag me down further, and while I won't forbid you from seeing your children, I strongly advise you to not say disparaging things to me, about me, or about my life, for I've done nothing to you except care about you, and you've shown me just how much I mean to you because of that."

Severus stood stock still then, absorbing Cassia's words like an obedient sponge. Once she stopped speaking, he blinked, almost as if he had been in a trance, before he swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing briefly in his throat. "Well, I suppose that's that, then."

Cassia nodded. "It would appear so." She moved backwards then and out of the parlor, hearing Severus just behind her as she opened the front door. "I shall tell the children that you stopped by with their gifts. I am sure they will be sorry they missed you."

Severus gave a stiff nod. "Please do. I hope they like what I got them."

"I am sure they will. They're two. They like a lot of things right now."

"Well, then, I..." Severus broke off for a moment, meeting Cassia's eyes briefly, but noticed that Cassia wouldn't permit herself to be taken in. "I shall see you soon, then."

"Of course," she replied, her voice holding no promises.

"Happy Christmas, Cassia," he replied, walking out of the open door.

"Happy Christmas, Severus," she said back, before Severus walked down the stairs off the wrap-around front porch, and Disapparated once he'd stepped out of the wards.

. . .

Cassia dragged her hands down her face in a moment of pure and simple frustration; the Auror Department had decided to have some of their young blood patrolling needless locations, and Cassia had been assigned to Hogsmeade, while Tonks had taken Diagon Alley. It was her first solo assignment on the street—or cobblestones, rather—and, despite the notion that it exhausted her and she thought it was needless, she knew that someone had to do the job.

Everest had been endlessly supportive, listening to her complaints and coming over many nights a week with takeout, and he would always rub her shoulders at the end of each night. While Cassia was appreciative, she hated having her shoulders rubbed, as it was an uncharacteristically sensitive point of her body, but she didn't know how to tell Everest not to rub them without coming off as rude or ungrateful. Thankfully, they hadn't done anything yet, so it's not as if he would see the bruises he was unconsciously forming upon her back and shoulders.

Cassia dove into her robes that late February day, as she trekked around Hogsmeade, and sipped at a Pepper-Up Potion she was permitted to carry with her. Its effects made themselves known shortly, and the exhaustion that seemed to cloak her like a shadow dissipated quickly. She casted a quick Tempus Charm, realizing that it was getting close to three o'clock; she'd begun her shift at Hogsmeade around five in the morning, meaning that the next Auror would arrive soon to take over for her. At night, more experienced Aurors were instructed to guard certain areas, and Cassia was just find knowing that information.

It was when Kingsley's lynx Patronus arrived on the scene, relieving Cassia of her duties, that she broke into a run. She left the little village as quickly as she dared, not bothering to stare at the witches and wizards who gave her looks of shock; she left the village and climbed the cliffs not too far away. When she saw she was getting virtually nowhere, due to the jagged rocks that dotted every foreseeable surface, she made a sound of frustration back in her throat, changing into her Animagus form and darting from rock to rock, her paws acting well in this condition, as she was fully in her element. As she reached the top of the peak, she noticed a cave growing out the side of the mountainous area, and, perplexed, walked forward and inside of it, staring into the darkness around her, but her bobcat senses took over, and her eyes adjusted quickly to the limited light of the cave.

It was the unexpected sound of growling that set her on edge, and the senses of her bobcat took over rather quickly, a hiss escaping her mouth. It was when a black dog stepped closer, out of the shadows of the back of the cave, that Cassia felt her eyes widening in understanding, and she shut her mouth quickly. The dog took on a confused expression then as it continued to stare at her, and Cassia drew herself back up into her human form; the dog, however, took note of her Auror robes and backed away, growling rather ferociously again.

"Sirius, wait, please," she said softly to him, and the dogs ears perked up at the sound of his first name, likely not used to hearing it much anymore. "I may be an Auror, but I'm not here to bring you in or call for back-up. Please. Hear me out. That's all I ask."

The dog sat before her, and waited.

"I'm Tonks's best friend—your cousin, Tonks," she said softly to him, and Sirius made a soft cry in his throat then, likely remembering the good times with her. "I saw a memory of the two of you, about how close you two were when she was younger. She looked so happy in the memory, and so did you," she went on. "Something tells me that all is not as it seems here, Sirius. I know that someone who is best friends with someone else couldn't betray them."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, before he transformed himself back into his human form; Cassia's heart went out to him, seeing his weakened state, and caught him before he fell to the floor of the cave, clutching him against her. Thinking fast, she transfigured several blankets and pillows from nothing, hoping that would show Sirius that she was on his side.

"Lumos," she whispered then, and gently eased him back onto the makeshift bed that she'd provided for him, and then put a Silencing Charm onto the opening of the cave behind her. "I'm right, aren't I?" she whispered as she casted a Cleaning Charm onto him, which took care of some of the grime which had set upon him. "Please tell me I'm right. You didn't betray Lily and James, did you?"

Sirius looked up at her then, taking in her features. "You're an American..."

Cassia smiled, wanting an answer to her question, but also knowing that, perhaps if Sirius knew some information on her as well, he would feel better opening up to her. "Yeah, I am. Educated at Ilvermorny from first until sixth-year—Thunderbird House," she told him, "because the I.S.E.P. got ahold of me, and I was transferred to Hogwarts for seventh-year. Gryffindor," she told him before he could ask, and he seemed to visibly relax in her presence.

"What's your name?"

"Cassia," she told him. "Cassia Serbus. Half-Blood, daughter of a Pure-Blood mother and a No-Maj father."

Sirius continued examining her, almost as if he doubted that she was really real, and there with him in that cave above Hogsmeade. "You're very young..."

"I'm twenty-one, and not so young," she told him with a smile. "Sometimes, it feels as if I've lived a thousand years. But, then I wake up and remember that those nightmares are just memories of my past, and I don't live that life anymore."

"Your mother's family?"

"Yes," Cassia replied, knowing that Sirius was a Pure-Blood and, therefore, would likely understand some of, if not all of, what she'd gone through. "Being labeled a Squib by the one woman who is supposed to love you unconditionally from such a young age when you're not showcasing accidental magic does something to you."

Sirius blinked. "You didn't showcase accidental magic?"

Cassia sighed. "Not to her. I can't explain it, but the accidental stage was a remarkably short one, for me, at least. I had a bit of control over it, so much so that the only time it broke though without control wasn't until I was sixteen."

"Sixteen?" Sirius demanded, looking shocked. "That's awfully late..."

"My grandfather used Cruciatus on me when I refused to marry one of his cronies. I didn't want my later life to consist on merely lying on my back and having children, and then raising them. I wanted to work with the government, but he had other ideas. So, when he put the spell on me, it wasn't long before I got the curse to rebound of its own accord, and now my grandfather has lost his ability to walk."

Sirius scanned Cassia's face, likely wondering if she was telling the truth or not, but decided to believe her. He leaned back against the pillows, letting out a groan, and his face contorted in a moment of pain. He watched as Cassia's hands went into her robes and offered him a vial of something, and he stared at it, then at her, not taking it.

"It's Wiggenweld Potion," she explained patiently, and smiled at him. "I get them, and others, from St. Mungo's when I'm tasked with working out of the office. Take it," she said, and placed it in his hands. It was then that, once she touched him, her mind entered his, and she saw the street where Sirius had supposedly murdered all those Muggles, which led to his arrest. She caught the attention of a finger, lying in the street, and dragged herself out of his mind as quickly as she could, when the Aurors seized him, and there he was, laughing, laughing... "Whose finger was that?" came her whispered question.

"Peter Pettigrew's," Sirius replied, and Cassia shook her head.

"He's dead; been dead for years," she said, biting her lip. "The ministry has all these files on him for being dead, and his death, as well as that Order of Merlin he got..."

"He's not dead. He merely reverted into his Animagus form and got away," Sirius replied, his tone clipped, obviously upset at this.

"He's the one who betrayed them, isn't he? Peter. Peter betrayed Lily and James," she whispered to him, and Sirius raised his eyes to hers.

"Yes," Sirius replied. "I was tasked with being their Secret Keeper when they fled to Godric's Hollow, for theirs and Harry's protection. I switched the roles; I told Peter that he should be the Secret Keeper, as it would have been less obvious to the outside world. Little did I know that Peter had sworn loyalty to Voldemort, which is how their location was literally handed over to him, and that was how they were killed that night."

Cassia shuddered then. "And now, you've been taking his punishment, all these years," she whispered, feeling anger for the life that Sirius could have lived. "What's his Animagus form? I promise, I won't reveal it, unless absolutely necessary."

"He's a rat," Sirius replied.

Cassia's eyes flashed. "A _rat_?!" she demanded, through gritted teeth. "That's oddly fitting, isn't it?!"

Sirius laughed darkly. "Yes. Yes, I suppose it is."

Cassia sighed. "Look, I don't know how much good it'll do you, but I know someone who has a rat familiar, who attends Hogwarts."

"Who is it?" Sirius asked.

"Ron Weasley," Cassia replied. "He's Harry's best friend."

. . .

"You look exhausted," Remus observed as Cassia walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom at the end of May, her guard duties at Hogsmeade being taken over by someone else that day, so that she could attend the class.

"Thank you for that," Cassia said, sitting in one of the provided window seats and grabbing ahold of her leg, which she brought up and clutched at. "This Hogsmeade job is so boring that it's beginning to exhaust me," she joked.

Remus laughed. "Well, I do hope you have enough energy for today. It doesn't take as much magic as a Patronus Charm, but I'm sure you know that all spells take magic."

"Yes, I think that is taught universally," she said with a wry grin. "How are Harry's lessons going, then?"

Remus sighed. "I'm never going to live down telling you that, am I?"

Cassia continued grinning at him. "No, probably not."

"His Patronus is a stag," Remus put in quietly. "Just like his father."

Cassia was about to ask further questions, but turned her head just as the third-year Gryffindor and Slytherin students filed into the classroom, and Remus stepped towards his desk to look over his notes one last time. She smiled at the class, and got off from the window seat when Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached her. "You three just keep getting bigger and bigger each time I see you," she said, ignoring Draco's sneer at the attention she paid them.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, grinning at her.

Hermione swatted his arm. "Honestly, Harry. It's rude to demand that of an Auror."

"I'm also your friend," Cassia reminded them all with a smile. "And I'm here because your professor has tasked me with showcasing some of my magic."

"Bloody hell!" Ron said, eyes flashing excitedly. "This is exciting!"

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Do you know the spell today, Cassia?" Harry asked.

Cassia nodded. "Yes, but I believe that Professor Lupin should be the one to discuss and explain it to all of you," she replied. She turned then, watching him collect his thoughts before he began to approach the class. "Go along then, stand with your friends." As the trio turned, she winked at Draco, who grinned at her, relieved that it was all just an act; he didn't need to know that the act was on him, however.

"Good afternoon, all of you," Remus said, addressing the class. "Today, we are going to learn the Boggart-Banishing Spell, as this will be on your final exams in a months' time. The incantation is Riddikulus," he said. "Now, can anyone tell me what a Boggart looks like?" he asked the class.

Hermione's hand shot up then, and Remus called on her. "No one knows," she replied, her voice much calmer than Cassia would have anticipated. "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of a person fears the most."

"Yes, excellent, Miss Granger. Ten points to Gryffindor," Remus said, and looked around the room, before gesturing to a wardrobe with a mirror on its front, "I'll have our resident Auror go first. Cassia?"

"Of course, Remus," she said, moving towards the wardrobe, but still remaining a few feet backwards from it. She waited for Remus to conjure the door to the wardrobe open, and, as it swung outwards, there was absolute silence in the classroom. Finally, the wardrobe manifested itself into a room, rich with various furnishings, but a sound of wailing filled it, and its door appeared to be locked. Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, realizing that her true fear was loneliness, and an inability to escape from or save herself from it. Finally, she drew her wand out and shouted, "Riddikulus!" and a chorus of laughter filled the makeshift room above her, which was suddenly bright and cheery.

"Excellent! Miss Granger!" Remus said, and Cassia moved to the side.

"You've got yourself a wonderful class, Remus," Cassia said once everyone had cleared out at the end of the lesson. "You should be very proud."

Remus sighed. "I had hoped that taking the position would have been less strenuous, but even with the Wolfsbane as a part of my contract, I fear things haven't changed."

Cassia raised an eyebrow. "Severus is brewing it for you, isn't he?"

Remus cocked an eyebrow. "You mentioned you knew Severus, but I was unaware that the two of you were particularly close."

Cassia swallowed. She waved her hand then, shutting and locking the classroom door behind the two of them, before she casted a Silencing Charm and a few wards. "Not many people are aware of this, Remus, but Severus and I are as close as two people can get."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "The two of you are together?"

"We were," Cassia said, sighing a little. "He... He could not let go of the past."

Remus mulled that over for a moment. "So, you know about Lily?"

"Yes," Cassia replied, "and I also know why he doesn't want me to be friends with you. I also know about his school years and the less-than-savory things you all did to him."

"I was a coward, I'll readily admit to that," Remus told her, "and while I held a more passive role in the bullying, doing nothing to stop it makes the person equally guilty."

"You've apologized?"

"Of course," Remus replied. "I believe that Severus merely feels that too much time has gone by, and he was far too hurt by our actions to concede, which I understand." He hesitated for a moment then, watching Cassia. "What else is it you're not telling me?"

Cassia reached into her robes then, finding some photographs that pictured her, Circe, and Sebastian on Easter at the Burrow, and showed them to Remus. "This is me, my daughter Circe, and my son, Sebastian," she said, and handed over the photograph.

"They're beautiful," Remus said, smiling down at the magical photograph, which had Cassia holding them in her lap, and Circe and Sebastian making faces at one another, with Cassia laughing behind them, all in a loop. "How old are they?"

"They'll be three at the end of September," she replied.

Remus's brows came together then as he raised his eyes towards Cassia's. "But... All that time ago, you were a student here."

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I was. I was eighteen when I got pregnant and had them."

Remus slowly handed the photograph back to Cassia. "Do you mean to tell me that Circe and Sebastian are the children of a Death Eater?!"

Cassia felt her magic bubble to the surface in a moment of rage and, before she could stop herself, shouted at Remus, "He is _not_ a Death Eater!"

Remus stared at Cassia for a moment, shocked. "What the devil do you mean, he's not a Death Eater, Cassia? I _know_ he is. He became one before we'd even graduated. I've _seen_ his Dark Mark, and I know a Death Eater when I see one—"

"You're wrong," she hissed, knowing that she couldn't allow her temper to get the better of her, and turned on her heel. "I'm due back at the department. I'll see you, Remus," she said, ignoring his attempts at an apology, and stomped from the room. She didn't know where she was going until she found the temperature dropping around her, and she was relieved that there was no activity down there as she let herself into the potions classroom. "Severus," she said, the door shutting behind her as she approached.

Severus looked up from the grade work he was doing. "Heard that you were helping Lupin in class this afternoon," he said, his tone clipped.

Cassia nodded. "I was, yes."

"How did that go, then?"

"He taught them the Boggart-Banishing Spell," Cassia replied. "He had me go first. Turns out, my fear is loneliness and being unable to escape from, or save myself, from it."

"Perhaps you should go and speak to Williamson about your fears."

Cassia's brows went upwards then. "Excuse me?"

"Cassia, unless you've come here to discuss the children, neither you nor I have anything to say to one another."

"I think there's plenty to say," Cassia countered, crossing her arms. "For one thing, Remus still believes that you're a Death Eater."

Severus's mouth thinned. "And what did you tell him?"

"I said you weren't, of course."

"Were you alone when you had this conversation?"

"Of course we were! I'm not completely idiotic, Severus."

"I beg to differ," Severus muttered, getting to his feet and meandering over to his shelves, the same ones he'd slammed Cassia up against plenty of times, content to allow her to beg him for a much-needed release.

"Severus, I just spent the last several moments defending you—"

"And I didn't ask you do to that," he said firmly, looking over his shoulder at her. "I especially didn't ask you to defend me to someone like Lupin."

"He told me he's apologized to you, Severus."

"Too little, too late," Severus replied, his tone bitter. "Rather like the two of us."

"That was not my fault, and you know it," Cassia told him through gritted teeth. "You know that you're the one who wasn't over it, and made promises you couldn't keep."

"Yes, which led you to jump in the first available bed you could!" he shouted at her.

Without hesitation, Cassia crossed the classroom and slapped Severus across the face, glaring up at him. "_Don_'_t_ say anything about Everest, because he's everything you're not, and there's nothing you can do to change that!" she hissed at him, before turning away and leaving the room as quickly as she could, before she could say anything else. As she ran, she managed to leave the dungeons before she needed to stop and catch her breath, whereupon she drew out her wand and cast her Patronus Charm. "Everest, tonight's the night," she whispered to it. "Tonks is bringing the twins to her parents', and Perry knows how to keep herself scarce. Meet me at the manor later, would you?" she asked, before the bobcat left her side, and Cassia moved towards the main doors of the castle, walking to the Apparition Point.

. . .

Cassia sat in Albus's office, clutching the tea cup, filled with tea that he had just spelled into it, and slowly lifted it to her lips. She said nothing, just swallowed the tea and listened—or, at least, attempted to—to the headmaster's words. The tea soothed her throat, which was slightly raw from her screams and sobs in the wake of what had happened eight days previously, when she had given herself to Everest. She knew she wasn't ready, and didn't know if she ever would be, to take that next step with him, and Everest had been content to wait, but, of course, he was equally happy with Cassia's one-eighty...

"...and it would be beneficial, if the boy would... Cassia?" Albus said, suddenly aware that his guest was likely over six-hundred miles away, in West Sussex, where she lived with her two children. "Cassia, are you quite well?" he asked.

Cassia blinked, suddenly aware of where she was again as she shook her head to clear it. "Do forgive me, Albus. These shifts at the ministry these days take a lot out of me," she said, and raised her teacup to her lips.

Albus sighed. "Cassia, the execution is this afternoon," he said, and Cassia felt something slam within her then—a deep-seaded hatred for Lucius Malfoy, who had given into Draco's flights of fancy, and had somehow managed to manipulate Minister Fudge to agree to a death sentence for Buckbeak, a hippogriff that Hagrid had in his care. "Now, I don't want to rush you, but if you could take a few moments and explain to me what's on your mind, perhaps you would feel more up to this meeting."

Cassia took another swallow of tea. "Yes, all right," she whispered.

"Well, then, my dear, proceed."

"I had an argument with Severus, involving a difference of opinion I had with Remus," she said, her voice quiet. "After the argument, I did something rash, something that I can't take back, and I'm miserable because of it."

"Would it have anything to do with the Patronus that you sent your friend Mr. Williamson, on your last visit to the castle?" Albus asked Cassia lightly, his blue eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles.

Cassia felt herself go pale as she lowered the teacup onto the headmaster's desk. "Yes, I suppose it would," she replied.

"I take it that you're readiness to do whatever it was with Mr. Williamson was something that the two of you had not done before?"

Cassia shook her head, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Albus. "No."

Albus nodded. "We frequently do things in our anger that, were we able to do so, we would cease entirely," he said, and Cassia had to admit that those were wise words. "However, we can learn from our actions, but that doesn't always mean it will do us good in the future."

"I guess I just hope I can manage to learn something from this," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I suppose we should return to the topic at hand."

"Ah, yes," Albus replied. "You've managed to seek out Black, as I asked you?"

Cassia nodded at him. "Yes. He's been taking refuge above a cave in Hogsmeade, just like you thought. I found him in February, and have gone back a few times with food for him. Hunting in his Animagus form and getting rabbits was tiresome."

Albus nodded, scratching his beard. "Yes, I suppose it was. Have you figured out if he was the one who murdered those Muggles yet?"

"Well, I..."

There was a bang at the fireplace then, and Remus suddenly appeared, looking slightly haggard and disheveled. "Albus, I... Cassia?"

"Remus," Cassia replied, her tone clipped.

"Albus, a black dog was seen dragging Ron Weasley into the Whomping Willow, and Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were just behind."

"Oh, no," Cassia said, getting to her feet. "I'll go distract Severus."

"Good idea, my dear," Albus said, getting to his feet and moving towards Remus, likely to use his Floo. "Hopefully this ends well."

"Can't hurt to hope," Cassia called over her shoulder, as she bolted from the office and down the stairs, taking the most direct route to the dungeons. Classes were over for the day already, as the year was officially winding down, so unless he had some remedial potions or detentions, Severus was likely to be alone in the dungeons somewhere. "Severus!" she yelled out then, dashing into the classroom, and he immediately got to his feet.

"Cassia? What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," she said, her cheeks flushed and her heart hammering in her chest. She had to think of something, and quickly, to prevent Severus from leaving...

Severus sighed. "Look, Cassia, I've got to do some grading, so if there's nothing pressing, and you merely came in for a chat, I think we've proven that, in our last few visits, that that's probably not a good idea..."

"Oh, fuck this," she muttered, crossing the room and taking his face into his hands. _It_'_s just work_, _it_'_s just work_, she thought to herself as she pressed her lips to his. _You_'_re not cheating on_ _Everest_, _as this is all for work_...

Severus allowed himself to lean into the kiss for a moment, savoring the compassion of the move, but just as he tasted Cassia, something went off in his mind, and he pushed her away from him. "Your shields were down," he growled out then, and made a grab for his wand.

"Severus, no!" Cassia yelled out, running after him. "Leave it! It won't do any—!"

Severus turned around, glaring down at Cassia. "If you demand of me to stay, then you obviously do not understand anything."

Cassia gasped as he breezed away from her. "Immobulus!" she screamed then, but Severus dodged the spell and kept walking. "Severus, don't!" she shouted, continuing after him, until they'd gotten out onto the grounds, but he got to the Whomping Willow before she could get to him, and she was left standing there.

"Cassia?"

Cassia turned around then, looking at Albus through a viel of tears. "I... I tried, Albus," she said then, her voice quivering. "I tried to stop him, I really did..."

Albus took Cassia back into the castle, bringing her back into the headmaster's office and sitting her down in an adjacent room. Cassia sat in the chair provided as Albus swept out of there, and gripped her wand in her hand, so tightly that she believed either the wand itself would snap, or her fingers would. She stared at a patch of carpet with the gaudy pattern, and noticed that there was either a burn-mark, a scorched spell gone wrong, or perhaps a beverage that had forever tainted the pattern. She was barely aware of the late-spring sun setting in the sky, and her tears did not dry once during that time. It was when she heard a faint conversation in the headmaster's office proper that she finally lifted her head.

"Albus, I must go take a Wiggenweld Potion after Potter casted Expelliarmus on me," Severus ground out. "That little brat then ran after Black and Lupin—he changed into a werewolf. He forgot his potion—"

"And whose fault is that, Severus?" Albus inquired, his tone clipped. "Did you forget to give it to him?"

Severus made a noise of exasperation. "That is beside the point."

"Nevertheless, now that the children are in the hospital wing, and Black is locked away in the North Tower, you must inform me of what happened."

Cassia muffled a cry then; the trio was in the hospital wing? Oh, dear Merlin, what had gone on in that tree, then?!

"After I got out of the tunnel, I saw Potter, Weasley, and Granger cowering, which was very interesting, given where the Sorting Hat placed them," Severus said, and Cassia could see the sneer he was likely making. "Lupin had changed into his werewolf form, and I held them all back, naturally, and then Black came out to play in his dog form. Once Lupin wounded Black, the wolf took off, and Black stumbled down to the lake, with Potter going after him. I then took Weasley and Granger to the hospital wing."

"Yes, but I sent you back out to find Harry and Sirius, Severus," Albus said, his tone patient yet firm, towards his potions instructor.

"I found them both at the edge of the Black Lake," Severus reported, and he could have easily been explaining the benefits of fruits and vegetables in one's diet. "It appeared as if the dementors had dispersed, and only a very powerful wizard could have conjured a Patronus that would clear them all," Severus went on. "I then levitated Potter to the hospital wing, and Black to the North Tower."

Albus sighed. "And now we'll call the Aurors, I'm afraid, as he is still wanted..."

"No!" Cassia cried out then, jumping to her feet and dashing out of the room, ignoring the glare that Severus shot her way. "Albus, you can't do this!" she cried out. "It wasn't Sirius who killed those Muggles, or who sold out Lily and James!"

Albus sighed. "I am sorry, Cassia, but I am afraid my orders are absolute," he said, and the three of them turned slightly then as a wisp of something entered the office.

"Headmaster, Mr. Potter has woken up."

"Yes, thank you, Poppy. I shall be there shortly," Albus replied, getting to his feet as the wisp disappeared, likely to return the message to the mediwitch. "I'm sorry, Cassia, but my orders are absolute, I'm afraid," he said, squeezing her arm as he walked by, and left the office, likely making his way down to the hospital wing.

Severus reached out then, yanking Cassia to face him in a forceful manner, and she gripped the edges of Albus's desk from behind her so as not to fall over. "How can you stand there and defend a mass murderer?!" he growled down at her.

Cassia narrowed her eyes at him. "Because you don't have all the facts!"

"And you do?!" Severus demanded.

Cassia's eyes flashed. "Of course I do," she said, making a grab for his arm, and yanking it towards her, pressing the tip of his wand to her temple. "Here. I saw the memories," she whispered to him. "Take a look for yourself," she went on, swallowing, her eyes never leaving his, and Severus sighed.

"Legilimens!" Severus uttered, and Cassia shut her eyes with a gasp as he invaded her mind, and she did her best to focus all her energy on recalling her meetings with Sirius, as well as the memories of what she'd seen when delving into his mind. Her eyes flashed open after a moment then, seeing Severus staggering backwards, and gazing at her with wide eyes.

"It... It was the rat?!" he demanding.

Cassia nodded. "Yes," she whispered to him. "Peter Pettigrew, the former Weasley family rat, affectionately known as Scabbers," she said, hissing the name.

Severus swallowed then, and shook his head. "Well, the rat has gotten away," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Severus was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time, so..."

"You can't mean that!" Cassia cried out then, her eyes filling with tears. "You're better than that, Severus, and you know it! It won't mean Azkaban this time around—the dementors will suck out his soul, and you know it! How can you stand by and let this happen?!"

"Because," Severus ground out then, taking ahold of Cassia's shoulders and staring down into her hazel eyes, "I am a Slytherin. A cold-hearted Slytherin, a Death Eater, a spy, a brute. I am everything negative that you can possibly have in a human being. I am a monster, Cassia, and, when you ended things with me, you did the best thing you could've done for yourself and for our children."

"Severus, you... You don't mean that..."

"Forget about me, Cassia," Severus ordered.

Cassia shook her head. "You know I can't do that."

Severus swallowed. "I won't Obliviate you, but you should attempt to do so for yourself, because I am not a good man, and I shouldn't have been so selfish as to corrupt you..."

"You didn't," Cassia assured him, wanting to close the distance between them and assure him in other ways, but she found that she couldn't move. "You did nothing of the sort. I may have been a teenager then, Severus, unsure of what was best for her at the time, but falling in love with you was never a mistake."

Severus shook his head. "You'll see, one day," he vowed, not bothering to cast her a final look as he swept from the office.


	10. Cold-Hearted Snake

It had come as a relief to Cassi when she had discovered that Hermione had utilized her time-turner in order to save both Sirius and Buckbeak, and that this had been Albus's plan all along. It was wonderful on another account when summer arrived, and her hours were cut town, giving her more time with Sebastian and Circe. Of course, Everest was always around as well, and she could see that the twins had clearly taken to him, and she was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Mum and Dad have invited us to the finale of the cup on the eighteenth," Everest said one evening, after she had put the kids to bed.`

"Oh, I'd love to go," Cassia said, slipping into bed beside Everest and kissing him on the cheek with a quick smile. "We haven't had much time with them recently."

"What with Corentin and Navina announcing that they're expecting, in the wake of the wedding last spring, Mum and Dad are caught up in being grandparents," Everest replied with an indulgent smile. "Corentin and Navina will be there, too, plus the girls. Fifth, sixth, and seventh-years this year, if you can believe it."

Cassia sighed, resting her head on Everest's shoulder. "I attempt to believe it," she replied with a small shrug. "I just have a feeling that time is a mystery, and we truly won't know where it goes until it's too late."

A few weeks later, Cassia had handed off Sebastian and Circe to Molly, who would not be joining Arthur, the twins, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, Amos, and Cedric Diggory at the cup. It was an overwhelmingly wonderful experience, sitting in the Williamson family box with Everest at her side, and she smiled when he took her hand. His parents were extremely close to Minister Fudge, who had greeted them all upon their arrival, and was with his wife in the Fudge box somewhere nearby.

"Dad says that Minister Fudge will introduce us to Viktor Krum after the match, if you're interested in meeting him," Everest put in, just before Ludo Bagman was about to begin refereeing the match. "Can you believe, he's only eighteen, and the greatest Seeker that Bulgaria has ever seen in centuries."

Cassia sighed. "I suppose the one thing I hope he doesn't support is Durmstrang's stance on Muggleborns," she replied.

Everest sighed. "I know you adore Hermione, love," he said, dragging the pad of her thumb across her knuckles, "but a Quidditch Cup final is not somewhere to talk politics."

Cassia yanked her hand away from his and narrowed her eyes. "So, that's it, then? I'm just supposed to be a dutiful little woman and keep my mouth shut? We work with the _government_, Everest—all our careers will be about politics."

Everest looked concerned. "No, no, love, that's not what I meant at all," he said quickly. "I just meant that there was a time and a place for anything. I don't want to see you hurt."

Cassia swallowed then, turning as Bagman moved into his place. "You're a little too late to save me from all of that, love," she whispered, but she knew Everest had heard her.

After the match, Cassia wandered towards the stairs, telling Everest that she was going to say hello to the Weasleys and Diggory's before returning to the Williamson family tent. She caught a glimpse of Lucius and Draco, smiling and nodding at them, and was pleased when they did so back, but made no move to stop her. Once she was back on the ground, she caught a glimpse of the late summer setting sun, and tried not to think it looked too ominous as she ducked into the tent which housed the Weasleys.

"Hey, all of you," she said, smiling.

"Cassia!" Ginny said, dashing forward, a towel upon her back, and threw her arms around her, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione just behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"Everest and I are here with his family," Cassia explained, letting Ginny go to hug Harry, Ron, and Hermione in turn. "In fact, we just got back from meeting Krum."

"How was it?" Hermione asked.

"I asked, you know, about his stance, given his school, she said, and Hermione let out a plaintive sigh, and Cassia put her arm around her shoulders, and she smiled at Mr. Weasley, who was lighting the stove across the tent. "He doesn't believe it, you know. Simple geography put him at the school, nothing more. He is something of a favorite of their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, but he doesn't seem to like him."

"Dumb Krum!" the twins chorused from across the tent, as Mr. Weasley got to his feet, and moved towards the exit of the tent.

"He's an artist!" Ron declared, glaring at his older brothers.

Ginny affectionately petted Ron's shoulder. "I think you're in love, Ron," she said, grinning up at him, and Ron glared at her.

"Oh, shut up, Ginny," he said.

"Stay here," Cassia said, squeezing both Hermione's and Ginny's hands before ducking out of the tent, catching the twins saying something about the Irish celebrating. "Arthur," she said and stepped closer to him. "What is it?"

"It's not the Irish," he declared, and something in his tone set him off.

Cassia followed his gaze then, and her breath entered her throat as she saw the masked, hooded figures on the horizon. There were collective screams in the distance, and Cassia felt shockwaves throughout her entire body as they began to set tents on fire. "Death Eaters," she whispered. "Get back in the tent and get the kids, Arthur! Tell Molly I'll be at the Burrow as soon as I can, but, right now, I have to find Everest!"

Arthur squeezed her hand. "Be safe."

"You, too!" she said, squeezing back and making a run for it, finding the Williamson tent and dashing inside. "Ev!" she shouted, and ran towards him, and he caught her up into his arms. "I-I'm sorry, about earlier, but, right now, we have to move! Death Eaters are taking the camp!" she said, her voice quavering.

Everest summoned their things, and turned back to Heinrich and Oriana. "Cassia and I will get to safety," he said, holding her hands. "Mum, Dad, are you fine to take the girls?" he asked, as Corentin brought Navina to her feet.

"We're fine, Everest," Heinrich ensured his younger son, while Oriana tucked Adelphia, Belinda, and Cordelia under her arms. "You two get out of here—Corentin, and Navina, you, too. We'll be just behind you."

"We have to get to Devon," Cassia said, pulling Everest out of the tent, their bags wrapped around their shoulders. "The kids..."

"And we'll get them, Cassia," Everest assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he stared off into the distance. "We'll check and see if they're all right, but..."

A chorus of screams erupted behind her, and Cassia caught Everest's hands. "Now!" she screamed as the crowd grew erratic around them, and they vanished with a pop. They landed outside the Burrow a moment later, and Cassia charged through the door, heart hammering in her chest, as she dashed into the living room. "Molly!" she screamed, and ran through to the kitchen, and Molly was just shutting the oven.

"Good evening, dear. You're back early— Oh!" she said as Cassia threw her arms around her and felt herself sobbing into her shoulder.

"It was awful Molly," Cassia sobbed, hearing Everest coming in behind her.

"Death Eaters took the camp," Everest declared.

"Oh, Merlin, no!" Molly whispered.

"Where are the twins?" Cassia cried out then, throwing herself out of Molly's arms. "Please tell me that they're all right..."

"They're fine, dear. They're just upstairs."

Cassia broke out of the kitchen then, hearing the lull of Everest's conversation with Molly as she dashed up the stairs. She threw open the door of the makeshift nursery that Molly had pieced together, in the wake of them formally adopting her and the twins into the family, and found herself smiling as Sebastian and Circe poked their heads out from beneath the blankets. "Hello, my darlings," she said, and knelt between the beds.

"Mummy, why are you sad?" Circe asked, rubbing the sleep from her beautiful hazel eyes. "I thought you were happy..."

"Did Ireland win, Mummy?" Sebastian wanted to know.

Cassia swallowed, conjuring a chair and sitting between them, and taking ahold of both their small hands in hers. "Yes, Ireland won, darling," she said to Sebastian, who grinned, having been indoctrinated into loving Quidditch via Bill, Charlie, and the twins. "And, to answer your question, Circe, Mummy isn't sad. Mummy is afraid."

Circe's black brows knit together at that. "Afraid of what, Mummy?"

"You're an Auror!" Sebastian said, tossing his crop of golden-brown hair, identical to Cassia's, and he perfectly resembled his father, due to the fact that he kept the beast of a thing long. "Why are you afraid?"

"Do you remember when Mummy told you the story about the wicked wizard, who took people away because he didn't like their Blood Status?"

Circe nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, Mummy. We remember."

"It wasn't just a story, my loves," she said, and Sebastian looked shocked then, his black eyes conveying pure fear. "The Dark Lord is all too real. His minions—or followers, whatever you want to call them—showed up at the finale of the cup tonight."

"With the masks of death?" Sebastian whispered.

Cassia nodded. "Yes, darling, the masks of death. Everest and Mummy had to get out of there as quickly as possible, because Mummy was very scared for you."

"But we're safe here at the Burrow with Grandmum Molly, Mummy," Circe said, her brow puckering all over again.

"I know you are, sweetheart," Cassia assured her. "Which is why Mummy had to check on you before she has to go back. I don't want to go back, but because it is my job, they will summon me, I fear," she said, transfiguring her casual clothes into her Auror attire, and got to her feel just a little unsteadily. "You two go back to sleep. Mummy will be back in the morning, and then we'll all go home together. All right?"

"Right, Mummy," Sebastian said.

Cassia felt her heart tugging to stay, but she merely bent and kissed her children's foreheads. "I love you, my babies," she said, and slipped from the room. "Are we summoned?" she asked Everest as she went downstairs, noticing that he was in his robes as well.

"Yes, Barty Crouch Sr.'s Patronus confirmed it," Everest said.

"Was there a message?"

"Just to get there as soon as possible."

"All right, then," Cassia said, embracing Molly as the door burst open, with the twins and Ginny running into the living room. "We'd best go, then," she whispered to Everest as Molly gathered her children into her arms.

With a wave to the twins and to Ginny, Cassia took Everest's hand and they Apparated back onto the grounds where the tents had been at the Quidditch World Cup. Cassia coughed upon their immediate arrival, due to the fact that the tents were now burnt-out and hollow shells of what they used to be. Cassia took Everest's hand and they moved towards the other Aurors that had just arrived with them, and they stood with Barty Crouch Sr.

"Auror Williamson," Everest said, and shook Crouch's hand.

"Auror Serbus," Cassia stated, and took Crouch's offered hand.

"Thank you for arriving so quickly," Crouch said, nodding at them both; he had dark, alert eyes which scanned the area quickly, and a Charlie Chaplin mustache. "If all of you would look at the sky..."

Cassia looked up then, seeing the pale green light that filled the night sky; it was in the shape of a skull, like a Death Eater's mask, and sported a snake tongue. Cassia gasped aloud then, and quickly lowered her eyes as the Aurors took off running, towards where Crouch likely presumed it had been cast. Cassia let out a gasp then as Crouch shouted the Disarming Spell, and the scream that filled her ears belonged to Hermione, and Harry and Ron flanked her in a protective manner on either side, and the notion that Harry was clutching his scar was not lost on her.

"Stop!" shouted a familiar voice, and Cassia gasped aloud then as Arthur came charging towards the trio. "That's my son!" he went on, and immediately moved to stand with the trio. "Ron, Harry, Hermione, are you all right?" he asked them.

"Which one of you conjured this?" Crouch demanded, and Cassia's jaw dropped open, shocked that he would presume such a thing.

"You can't possibly..." Arthur began.

"Do not lie!" Crouch snapped. "You have been discovered at the scene of a crime!"

"Crime?!" Harry demanded, confused.

"Barty, they're just kids," Arthur said firmly.

"What crime?" Harry demanded again.

"It's the Dark Mark, Harry, it's _his_ mark," Hermione whispered to him.

"Those people tonight, in the mask... They're his, too, aren't they?" he whispered, finding Cassia's eyes in the crowd, and she nodded at him quickly. "They're his followers."

"Follow me," Crouch said, and made a grab for Cassia, likely not wanting her to inform Harry about the Death Eaters, but she evaded his grasp.

"There was a man. Before. There," Harry said, and pointed through the smoke and fog to a space a few feet away from all of them.

"All of you, this way," Crouch said, and Cassia again evaded his grasp.

"A man, Harry?" Arthur asked, staring at Harry as Crouch and the other Aurors, save for Cassia, slipped though the darkness. "Who?"

"I don't know," Harry replied with a shrug. "I didn't see his face."

"Could you describe him?" Cassia asked, gently moving them along to ensure that none of them would incur the wrath of Crouch.

"Taller than me, pale," Harry whispered back to Cassia as they walked towards an appropriate Apparition Point. "Shaggy-looking brown hair. His voice was deep, powerful, commanding, and, once he saw me, he came towards me, before Ron and Hermione showed up."

Cassia nodded. "I'll look in the archives for wanted Death Eaters," she assured him, squeezing his arm. "Now, Arthur, take them home, now. I'll see if I can get an answer for you, Harry, but I make no guarantees."

Harry nodded, moving after Arthur, Ron, and Hermione. "I really did see a man, you know," he whispered to her.

Cassia smiled at him. "I know you did, Harry. You're trustworthy," she whispered, and then turned around to run after Everest, who had waited for her.

. . .

The Triwizard Tournament was all that was discussed at the Ministry of Magic for the next several weeks, as it had been centuries when it was last allowed. However, Cassia felt a surge of relief when it was confirmed via Barty that each witch or wizard must be seventeen before they were due to participate. Hermione wrote to Cassia, informing her with amusement that Fred and George had tried to enter, but, as sixth-years, wouldn't have been eligible. However, they'd used an Aging Potion to bypass the Age Line that Albus had formed around the goblet of fire, which was to be used to submit names, only to be thrown out of it, literally, and to grow beards so as they resembled giant gnomes more than anything else.

Cassia had received another note that Halloween afternoon, this one from Barty himself, and went towards his office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"I did, yes, Cassia, come in," he said, shutting the book he'd been looking at. "I was hoping to have an Auror by my side during the tasks of the tournament, as well as the selection of the champions themselves this evening. Would you be a good choice?"

Cassia smiled. "Oh, I like to think so, sir," she replied. "I adored my time at Hogwarts, short as it was, and it's always nice to return."

"Wonderful," Barty replied. "And call me 'Barty', please. Everyone does."

Cassia nodded. "Noted."

"We shall go to Hogwarts for dinner and witness the selecting of the champions, and then we'll plan on returning for the tasks later on."

Cassia nodded, and she and Barty used his personal Floo to get to Hogwarts, and they met Albus in his office, who beamed brightly at seeing the two of them. "Albus," she said, as he embraced her warmly.

"I was so pleased when Barty said he had selected you to accompany him, dear girl," Albus said with a smile. "Tonight, you will also be introduced to Madam Maxime of Beauxbatons, and Igor Karkaroff of Durmstrang. I hear you have already met his student, Viktor Krum, as well as our seventh-year, Cedric Diggory."

Cassia nodded. "I have, yes. I've also heard that they are the favorites for the tournament from both Durmstrang and Hogwarts respectively."

"They are indeed," Albus confirmed, shaking Barty's hand. "Well, now, dinner in the Great Hall should be served soon. May as well get down there and begin introductions." Albus led Cassia and Barty out of the office, and they quickly moved towards the grand staircase, which led them directly to the Great Hall, where some students had gathered early for dinner.

Cassia followed Albus towards the head table, which had been elongated to provide several extra seats for the occasion—she could see four more chairs than normal, and assumed that they were for the visiting headmistress and headmaster of the other schools, plus her and Barty. She smiled up at Madam Maxime, who was the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, who had a kind face and who took her hand carefully to shake it, and she did not miss the love-struck look that Hagrid shot her. She was much more careful with Igor Karkaroff, and, the moment she touched him, she felt the presence of his mark, but merely smiled and nodded when he wanted to know if she was the Auror selected for the tournament. She could feel Severus's eyes upon her as she sat in her assigned chair, waiting for dinner to begin and casually brushed her arm and nodded at him, letting him know she knew what Karkaroff was.

As soon as the students had filed into the hall, dinner immediately seemed to appear before them all, and Cassia tucked in to her roast chicken. She smiled at Barty as she sipped her goblet of Butterbeer, and he seemed enchanted by her choice of food. Cassia shrugged it off, knowing that his son had been locked away in Azkaban, and so he was likely to be frightfully lonely. When she finished her special dessert of Cauldron Cakes, she conjured a Cleaning Charm on her hands before she got to her feet, standing beside Barty at the back of the room, where she caught sight of Moody for the first time, however, something seemed off about him, and he seemed to look at her as if he'd never seen her before, which set her off immediately.

"Sit down, please," Albus said, his words directed at the students who were scattered excitedly throughout the Great Hall. "And now for the moment you've all been waiting for, the champion's selection!" Albus dimmed the lights of the Great Hall, so that everyone was nestling in a blue hue, the same as the flames coming out of the goblet of fire. However, as he stepped closer to it, it glowed red, and a small piece of parchment burst forth from within it, and Albus caught it with one hand. "The Durmstrang champion is... Viktor Krum!"

Cassia looked over to where the student body of Durmstrang Institute had gathered on one side of the dimly-lit room. They immediately cheered when Krum's name was called, and the young man promptly got to his feet. Crossing the Great Hall, Albus shook his hand and motioned him to leave, where he would go to the headmaster's office for further instructions.

Albus turned around then as the second piece of parchment was spat out of the goblet, and he also caught it with one hand. "The champion from Beauxbatons... Fleur Delacour!"

Cassia watched as a beautiful, willowy witch stood up from the Ravenclaw table; she was garbed in a perfectly-fitting blue uniform, and her white-blonde hair was tied back respectfully in a ponytail. Her eyes were alight when her name was called, and she, too crossed the room and shook Albus's hand, before she was motioned to follow where Krum had left from.

The final name came flowing out of the goblet then, and Albus caught it, again, with one hand, and peered at it. "The Hogwarts champion... Cedric Diggory!"

Cassia clapped louder then, as did Barty, for as Hogwarts alumni's, it would be expected that they would cheer on Diggory during the tournament. Young Cedric got to his feet in all of his Hufflepuff glory, and made his way towards Albus, whereupon he shook his headmaster's hand and was motioned off the stage, and towards the headmaster's office.

"Excellent!" Albus said, showing his face to the student body in pure exultation. "We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions, the vessel of victory, the Triwizard Cup!"

The cup was revealed to everyone for the first time, and even Cassia had to admit the brilliance of the trophy. She smiled to herself, clapping along with the rest of the staff and student bodies of all three schools, looking at Albus with a smile on her face. However, her clapping soon faltered as the goblet glowed red for a fourth time, and she looked at Barty for a moment before turning to Severus, who looked at her as if he didn't know what was going on, and a fourth piece of parchment flew out of the goblet, landing in Albus's outstretched hand.

"Harry Potter," he whispered, and Cassia felt her heart sink like a stone as she looked through the crowd. "Harry Potter?" Albus said, raising his voice, and Cassia could clearly see Harry attempting to make himself smaller at the Gryffindor table.

"No, no," Hagrid said, and Cassia felt as if the giant was speaking for her.

"Harry Potter!" Albus screamed aloud then, and Cassia flattened herself against the wall in a moment of fear.

Cassia watched as Hermione scolded Harry and lifted him up, and he walked painfully between the house tables and towards Albus, with Ron glaring at him. Cassia swallowed then as Albus, in a jerky movement, handed over the parchment to Harry, who walked through the second half of the tables. Cassia felt a moment of rage flowing through her then as Severus looked down his nose at Harry in contempt, while Minerva attempted to comfort him as he too left the Great Hall for the headmaster's office.

Cassia looked over at Barty as Minerva, Severus, Filius, and Pomona excused the rest of the students for the evening, and Cassia turned to look at Barty. "What's going on here?" she whispered to him, her voice shaking. "We were told that there would be only three champions, and Harry's only fourteen..."

"We have to go," Barty replied, not answering Cassia's question as he moved towards the Heads of Houses, who were already following Albus out of the Great Hall.

The pair went as fast as they possibly could through the rear entrance of the Great Hall, normally just reserved for the headmaster and other professors, and went towards the back staircase that would lead them directly to the headmaster's office. The walk past the gargoyle was tedious, to say the least, given that it remained well out of the way as they climbed the final staircase and into the office itself. Cassia felt her jaw dropping as Albus burst into the office and made a grab for Harry.

"Harry! Did you put your name in the goblet of fire?!" he demanded.

"No, sir!" Harry choked out.

"Did you ask one of the older students to do it for you?"

"No, sir!" Harry repeated.

"You're absolutely sure?" Albus clarified.

"Y-yes. Yes, sir," Harry ground out.

"Well, of course he is lying!" Madam Maxime put in, and Cassia glared at her, rendering the giantess to silence.

"The hell he is!" Moody said, and Cassia's skin crawled; this couldn't be the same wizard. "The goblet of fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful conjurer could have hoodwinked it. Magic way beyond the talents of a fourth-year," he nearly sneered, and Cassia swallowed.

"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye," Karkaroff growled.

"It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do, Karkaroff. Perhaps you remember?" he asked, and shot a look at Cassia. "Perhaps she'd know..."

"That doesn't help, Alastor," Albus said, pushing his way past him, and ignoring his final comment directed at Cassia, and moved to stand beside Barty, who had turned away, but was still standing beside her. "Leave this to you, Barty."

"The rules are absolute," Barty managed to reply. "The goblet of fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice," he went on, turning around to face Harry, looking terribly small, who was still gripping the piece of parchment in his hands. "He is, as of tonight...a Triwizard champion."

Cassia, Barty, Albus, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, Minerva, Moody, and Severus all turned and looked at Harry, who looked terribly uncomfortable.

"Cassia, take him back to his dormitory," Albus said after a moment.

Cassia nodded, and stepped forward. "Come on, Harry, let's go," she said, putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him out of there.

"I didn't do it!" Harry shouted as soon as the gargoyle had jumped back into place. "I don't need to tell you that, do I?"

Cassia smiled, squeezing his shoulder before letting him go. "No, you don't, even though I'm not even sure they'll be a formal inquiry," she said softly. "But, on the other hand, you don't need to tell me that because I know you wouldn't, Harry."

Harry sighed. "Ron's upset with me."

"He is?"

"I know him," he replied, lowering his green eyes towards the castle floor as they made their way towards the Gryffindor Common Room. "He wanted to enter, and even though I told him I didn't want to do it, and he could keep the fame once we were old enough..."

Cassia swallowed. "He's your best friend, Harry. He must know you better than that, don't you think?" she asked him. She saw him hesitate as they reached the portrait of the fat lady, and so she said, "Pluma quasi lux," and she swung outwards to let them in. Cassia put her arms around his shoulders again as they stepped through the portrait, which closed behind them, and Hermione immediately got to her feet.

"Harry!" she shouted, dashing forward and throwing herself in his arms. "Cassia?" she whispered and brought herself downwards from the embrace. "What are you doing here? Are you here to take Harry away?"

Cassia shook her head. "No, of course not, Hermione. Harry isn't going anywhere," she assured her, just as Ron came into view. "Hello, Ron."

"Here to cart him off, are you?" he demanded.

Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Ron..." Harry tried.

Ron gave Harry a glare and turned around, before heading upstairs to the fourth-year boys' dormitory without a backward glance.

"I... I'll speak with him," Hermione said, her voice soft as she turned around and fled up the stairs as well.

Cassia sighed, squeezing Harry's shoulder again. "Are you going to be all right?" she asked him, almost afraid to leave him.

Harry nodded. "A shower and some sleep, and then I should be fine."

She sighed a second time, pulling him into a hug, which he promptly returned. "Look, you don't have to do this."

"But Crouch said that I..."

"I could go to bat for you," she replied steadily. "If you really and truly don't want to do this, say the word Harry, and I'll do everything I can..."

"Forget it," Harry replied, stepping back. "I... I'll make it work."

Cassia nodded. "All right, then. Write to me if you need anything, yeah?"

Harry bit him lip. "I will."

Cassia smiled at last, patting his cheek before she left the common room. She made her way back to the headmaster's office, and the gargoyle let her back in without a second look, and without a password to boot. As the inner door of the office opened, she could see that it was shrouded in darkness, and Albus appeared to be bent over a silver basin.

"This can't go on, Albus," Minerva said, and Cassia slipped into the shadows. "First the Dark Mark, now this?"

"What do you suggest, Minerva?" Albus asked.

"Put an end to it," she replied. "Don't let Potter complete."

_Thank you_,_ Minerva_, Cassia thought to herself.

"You heard Barty. The rules are clear," Albus replied.

"Well, the devil with Barty and his rules!" Minerva nearly shouted. "And since when do you accommodate them..."

"Master, I, too find it difficult to believe this mere coincidence, if we are to truly discover the meaning of these events, perhaps, we should, for the time being... Let them unfold," Severus spoke slowly then, and Cassia felt her heart hammering then.

"Do nothing?!" Minerva demanded, looking from Albus, to Severus, and back again. "Offer him up as bait? Potter is a boy, not a piece of meat!"

"I agree...with Severus," Albus said, still looking into the basin, while Minerva looked as if something had possessed him. "Alastor, keep an eye on Harry, will you?"

"I can do that," Moody replied, suddenly making his presence known, and his eye caught Cassia lingering there in the darkness, but said nothing about it.

"Don't let him know, though," Albus said quietly to the man with a mad eye, and still did not make eye contact with anyone in the room. "He must be anxious enough as it is... Knowing what lies ahead. Then again, we all are," he said, pressing his wand to his temple, and letting his memory settle into the depths of whatever it is he stood over.

Cassia waited until Moody had left, followed by Minerva shortly thereafter, and stormed into the room, glaring at Albus. "Clearly, he's very anxious!" she shouted then, and Albus finally looked up at her. "Not that you're doing anything to stop it!"

Albus sighed. "Cassia..."

"No!" she yelled at him. "He doesn't want to do this!"

"He said this to you?" Severus asked.

Cassia turned around and glared at her former lover. "He didn't have to," she replied. "The poor boy thinks he's obligated to, due to him being put into Gryffindor. I saw it in his eyes, Albus," she went on, turning back to the headmaster. "He is afraid that the world will think less of him, less of his bravery, if he doesn't compete. Don't let him do it!"

"It's been decided," Albus said, turning away from her. "Potter will be a Triwizard champion, and the ministry will support him."

Cassia let out a noise of exasperation and stormed from the office, and knew that Severus was at her heels without having her look back. She promptly changed her course of direction towards the dungeons, and did not speak again until Severus had shut the door behind them, and whirled around to face him. "How could you tell Albus to let Harry compete?!"

"He doesn't need a scandal on his hands with his refusal."

"A scandal?! Are you kidding me right now?!" she demanded. "You're letting your hatred for Harry cloud what is right here, Severus, and this is not right. You want him to be hurt by this, and he's had enough pain in his life!"

Severus rolled his eyes. "I want nothing of the sort."

"Oh, you don't?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Tell me, then. Have you given him detention yet this year, Severus?"

Severus sneered. "That is hardly any of your concern."

"If you're being cruel to Harry—or any other student, for that matter—it is my concern. Don't forget, I'm not a sniveling, lovesick, teenage girl anymore who is your student. I work for the British wizarding government, and I take my position very seriously."

Severus gritted his teeth. "My students, my rules."

"Not if it breaks disciplinary protocol!" Cassia snapped. "You've had it out for him since he began at this school, all because he is physical evidence that the only girl you ever loved married your sworn enemy! It is not Harry's fault," she said, hoping to drive the point home. "He didn't ask to be born; he didn't ask to be marked by Voldemort; he didn't ask to be labeled The Boy Who Lived; and he certainly didn't asked to be selected for the tournament. He didn't ask for any of this to happen, Severus, and if you took your head out of your ass, you'd see that!"

"I see a boy who is lazy, arrogant, the spitting image of his father—"

"How can you compare Harry to James?!" she cried out. "I saw James in your memories, don't forget that, Severus. Harry is_ nothing_ like his father, other than in much of his looks, save for his eyes," she told him. "Harry would never seek to bully anyone. The only reason that he may appear to be short with you is because you made up your mind not to like him before you were even properly introduced. You simply dislike him because of his father, and the fact that he is a lion and not a snake. You want to control him, and to make him upset, to the point where all of these losses in his life could do severe damage. That can't be what you want, is it?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic."

"Dramatic? Me?" Cassia scoffed. "I'm not the one who literally signed up Harry Potter for his own potential death, Severus. People die in these tournaments, you know," she said, staring at him as if he'd grown another head. "Why would you wish that for him?"

Severus glared at Cassia. "Leave. Now."

Cassia sighed then, seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere. "Gladly," she said, turning on to spot towards his Floo, and returned home for the night.

. . .

"Rita Skeeter will do anything to sell a story," Cassia grumbled to Barty as they made their way towards the tent, which housed the champions, before the first task. "I can't believe she's dragging Harry though the mud like that..."

"You seem to be close to young Mr. Potter."

"I met him during his first year," Cassia said, looking over her shoulder as she saw the various carts that brought the dragons in for the task that day. "I was tasked with writing up the report upon the death of Professor Quirrell."

"I also hear you are close to the Weasley family."

"They are like family to me as well," Cassia confirmed with a smile. "They've quite adopted me and my children into the fold."

Barty stepped towards the tent and let Cassia inside first, and she saw Hermione standing protectively beside Harry.

"What are you doing here, Miss Granger?" Albus asked her.

"Oh. Nothing. I'll just...go."

"Go along with her, if you like, Cassia," Barty said, producing the sack which held the miniature versions of the dragons for the champions. "I shall be along shortly."

"All right, Barty," Cassia said, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders and walking out of the tent with her. "How are you?" she wanted to know.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "As well as can be expected, what with your two best friends feuding constantly..."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Cassia said softly. "Anything good happening?"

Hermione smiled slightly then, and it was in that moment that Cassia realized she hadn't seen her smile in quite a long time. "I... I have a secret."

Cassia smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It's... Viktor."

Cassia raised her eyebrows. "As in Krum?" she asked.

A light flush developed on Hermione's cheeks. "Yes. I'll be in the library, and he'll be there, too, watching me study."

"Has he said anything to you?"

"No," Hermione replied. "There's always a gaggle of girls around him. I think he wanted to seek a way out, and I was just a part of that."

"Well, I hope things go well for you," Cassia said, squeezing Hermione's hand for a moment as they continued to walk. "How's Ron's behavior been?" she asked.

Hermione sighed. "I've spoken with him as much as I can," she confessed as they made their way into the stands. "He just doesn't want to admit that he's wrong."

Cassia sighed. "Men frequently feel that way," she said, her eyes locking onto Severus's, who stood with the other professors in the special box, which Cassia was welcome in, but she opted to stand with Hermione for the task.

"What are you looking at?" Hermione asked, pausing in her steps and attempting to follow her line of sight.

"Nothing," Cassia replied, breaking off eye contact with the potions master with a quick smile at her young friend. "Just the weather. I hope it doesn't rain today."

"Quite right," Hermione agreed as they slipped into a row, not fully believing the Auror, but also not wanting to press her. She went down into the middle of the row, which housed Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom. "Dean, Neville, Seamus, this is Auror Serbus."

"So many Aurors around this year," Dean said softly.

Cassia smiled at all of them. "Pleasure to meet you all. And, please, call me Cassia."

"You're an American!" Seamus said with a grin, his voice an Irish lilt.

"Last time I checked," she said with a smile. She unclipped her Auror robes, revealing a red and gold shirt, declaring her support of Harry.

"You were a Gryffindor, weren't you?" Neville asked quietly.

Cassia nodded. "I was, yes. I was a part of the International Student Exchange Program, and I came here to Hogwarts, a year before all of you started here, to finish out my education. It was a lovely experience."

"Is it true you're an Animagus?" Dean wanted to know.

Cassia grinned at him. "I am," she replied. "Too bad I didn't get to show you when I was in Professor Lupin's class with all of you last year. I will show you all sometime, however, if you wish to see it."

"Blimey," Ron said, shaking his head. "You make friends everywhere you go, Cassia."

Cassia turned and looked over at Ron. "Some of us have to," she said, fixing him with a look, which caused him to blush red to his ears and focus on the field below.

. . .

The Great Hall was decked out for Christmas, with an ice-like dance floor, ice sculptures of magical creatures, fountains, and dripping fairy lights which hung from the ceiling. The entire room was done up in whites and pale blues, and Cassia felt as if Filius had outdone himself with the beautiful charm work. Cassia and Everest were to be the Auror chaperones for the evening, and, even though they pair hadn't spent much time together lately, and the knowledge that they needed an evening together was evident, Cassia felt terribly out of place in the new gown she'd bought for the occasion.

Cassia stood by one of the walls, dressed in her white gown; it had layers upon layers of gossamer silk, which ended in lace at its ball-gown-like hem. It was a strapless piece, with diamonds, which had reportedly been mined by elves sewn upon its bustier-like top, which plunged slightly down the middle, with white silk ribbons to hold everything in place. It also sported a thicker, white silk bow around her waist, which tied just above her left hip, and was accompanied by a diamond necklace, with strings of diamonds resting upon her neck, which had to be heated slightly with Warming Charms. Her hair was done up with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, which she had also picked up for Hermione at her request; her hair, that evening, was put into a crown at the back of her head, with some curls falling out at various ends, and her face had been done up with a standard Beauty Spell.

"There you are," said Everest, stepping forward, his dress robes looking perfect on his lean frame as he leaned down and kissed her temple. "Feeling all right? Breathing?"

Cassia smiled. "Yes, thankfully. You think everyone will be down soon?"

"Yes, I've been told by Minerva that the students are due down here shortly. We've been asked to meet the champions formerly before they come in here, to begin the dancing."

"Well, perhaps we should wait outside, then," she replied with a smile, and took ahold of Everest's offered arm, smiling up at him. As they left the Great Hall, she felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up, spotting Severus staring at her, open-mouthed, from across the room, and she nodded at him as they slipped out of there.

Cassia and Everest stood in the hallway, and they mutually noticed Cedric with his date, sixth-year Ravenclaw student Cho Chang, who was a friend of Everest's sister, Belinda. They walked over to the two of them, smiles on their faces, not knowing what to expect. Other than their brief encounter at the Quidditch World Cup, and offering Cedric congratulations in the wake of the first task, Cassia had barely spoken to the talented wizard.

"Good evening," Everest said, shaking both their hands. "Auror Williamson. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Diggory, and wonderful to see you again, Miss Chang."

"Nice to meet you, Auror Williamson," Cedric replied.

"The pleasure is ours," Cho said softly.

"Wonderful to see you again, Cedric," Cassia said with a smile, and Cedric shook her hand with a warm smile.

"Delighted," Cedric said with a quick grin, before breaking eye contact to look at the beautiful girl beside him. "May I introduce my girlfriend, Cho Chang?"

"Lovely to meet you, Cho," Cassia said with a smile.

"And you as well, Auror Serbus," she replied, shaking her offered hand.

"It's 'Cassia'," she said politely. "I'm not really one for titles. I only graduated from here three years ago."

"She was wickedly brilliant, Cho," Cedric said with a smile at Cassia before turning back to Cho Chang. "Even though she wasn't here for long, she made the Auror Department because she's a fantastic witch."

Cassia and Everest then were introduced to Fleur Delacour and her date, sixth-year Roger Davies of Ravenclaw, whom Belinda, Everest's younger sister, had a mad crush on, but was ignored because of the part-Veela witch, who also appeared to be quite taken with him. Next, Cassia said hello to Harry, who had brought Parvati Patil as his date that night, although the pair looked very awkward around one another. And then, much to everyone's surprise, Viktor Krum came forward towards the staircase which led to the dormitories, and reached out his hand, and none other than Hermione took it, with a shy smile.

"Did you know?" Everest whispered. "You're so close..."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I knew. I helped her with her shopping," she said quietly. They stepped forward to greet them both, and Hermione reached out, clutching at Cassia's hand, her face bright with excitement.

"You didn't say anything, did you?" she asked as Everest spoke to Krum.

"No," Cassia assured her. "This is supposed to be a fun evening. Go in there and dance and have all the fun you can."

Hermione beamed as she and Krum fell in line with the rest of the champions and their dates for the evening, and Cassia and Everest slipped back into the Great Hall beforehand. The double doors were then opened, and the champions were permitted to walk in the space provided for them towards the dance floor. In the crowd, Cassia spotted Ron with Parvati's twin sister, Padma, who seemed positively delighted for Hermione since she had been asked by Krum, although Ron got a dark look on his face because of it.

Cassia watched then as the champions began their dance, and how poor Harry and Parvati seemed to fumble throughout. Albus and Minerva seemed to take pity on the couples, for they joined them shortly thereafter, along with Neville Longbottom, who was dancing with Ginny, and Karkaroff with his partner. She felt a hand in hers then, and turned to see Everest looking down at her questioningly, and she nodded up at him, and they joined everyone on the dance floor immediately thereafter.

As the pair of them spun in the waltz, she noticed that Hermione and Krum were having a lovely time, as were Cedric and Cho, and Fleur and Roger. Cassia and Everest matched the dance of the couples around them, and she let out a shocked and delighted gasp as Everest took her by the hips and lifted her into the air, as the other partners were doing, before settling her back onto the ground again and spinning her around carefully and expertly.

Once the waltz had ended and the Weird Sisters, the wizarding band hired for the evening, stepped out onto the stage, Cassia and Everest danced to a song about a hippogriff, which seemed to delight Hagrid from across the room. Finally, they walked off where the punch was being kept, sipping it, delighting in a momentary respite from the evening. Just as they sipped their drinks, Krum came by and engaged Everest in conversation, with a nod to Cassia. Cassia slipped out of there after she'd finished, casting a Warming Cham around her as she stepped outside and into the snow falling that Christmas Eve night.

"It's happening _again_, like before!" came a voice like a hiss somewhere in the midst of the school carriages in the courtyard, causing Cassia to slam herself up against a pillar and listen to the voices. "Soon, neither you nor anyone else will be able to deny it!"

"I see no reason to discuss it, Igor," Severus ground back, causing Cassia to look around the pillar at the men. There were slamming noises coming from the courtyard, and Cassia noticed Severus flitting from the various carriages and opening and slamming the doors.

Severus seemed to hesitate for a moment in the falling snow, only to suddenly dash forward and unlock one of the carriages with a spell, before taking points away from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw without so much as a backwards glance, leaving the two shocked teenagers to run back into the castle.

"It's a _sign_, Severus!" Karkaroff growled after Severus had slammed the carriage door shut, blocking Severus's path. "You know it is!"

"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about," Severus replied nonchalantly, and attempted to side-step him.

"Really?" Karkaroff demanded of him, turning around and watching Severus walk away from him. "Then, give me state of mind and roll up your sleeve!" he said, and reached towards Severus's arm, which Severus, who had been backed up against another carriage, promptly withdrew from his reach. "You don't fool me, Severus," the Durmstrang headmaster went on with a bitter laugh. "You are _scared_. Admit it."

"I have nothing to be scared of, Igor," Severus replied levelly. "Can you say the same?" he asked the man, who promptly moved to leave the courtyard.

"Lively conversation partner you have there, Severus," Cassia said, stepping out from behind the pillar she'd used as a hiding place.

Severus sighed. "You know very well that I couldn't show my arm, Cassia."

"Of course," Cassia replied. "Wouldn't wand my powers getting out there. Merlin knows other people would want to use me to their advantage."

Severus narrowed his eyes slightly. "It appears that that's not the only thing that people want to use to their advantage."

Cassia glared right back at him and moved to leave. "That's enough, Severus."

"No, I don't think it is enough, Cassia," he replied, grabbing ahold of her arm and spinning her around, snow falling from her hair as he did so. "Williamson has been staring at you all night as if he owns you. I won't have it."

"You lost your chance to call any shots with me some time ago, Severus," Cassia said, her voice on the course of breaking as she struggled to get away with him. "Everest and I are a couple, and nothing you say or do will change that."

"Really?" Severus asked, his velvety voice downright intoxicating as he stepped closer, and peering into Cassia's eyes without blinking. "Nothing?"

"Yes, nothing," Cassia shot back. "I won't have you using that voice of yours, or your face as an instrument of temptation. I won't."

Severus didn't let up on his grip upon Cassia's arm. "I beg to differ," he replied. "It's evidenced by your refusal to break away from me. You have the physical strength to do it, Cassia, just not the emotional strength. Admit it. You want to come back to me."

Finally, Cassia pulled herself away from Severus, glaring at him. "I don't have to admit a damn thing to you!" she yelled, before running back into the castle, stopping short when she saw Everest standing by the open door. "Ev..."

"So, Snape is your ex?" he asked.

Cassia pushed past him and into the castle, spelling the snow off from her hair and anywhere else it may have landed. "So?"

Everest sighed. "That's something you could have told me."

Cassia peered at him over her shoulder. "Sorry. I missed the part where that information applied to you, Everest."

"As your boyfriend, I'm curious about your past, Cassia," he replied.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Look, now is not..."

"Where have you been?!" she heard Hermione's voice demand of Harry as she and Everest walked into the corridor outside the Great Hall, and saw Harry pointing somewhere, but Hermione cut across him. "Never mind! Off to bed, both of you!"

Harry moved around Hermione, towards the stairs, where Ron already was.

"They get scary when they get older," Ron said, his tone annoyed.

"Ron, you spoiled _everything_!" Hermione shouted, her voice breaking.

"What's this about?!" Harry demanded as he and Ron disappeared up the stairs, and Hermione threw herself down and sobbed.

"Cassia, I want to know..."

"Later," Cassia said, stepping forward towards Hermione, who looked up at her approach and got to her feet, throwing herself into Cassia's arms. "Tomorrow, Ev," she said, stroking Hermione's back in an effort to comfort her. "Tomorrow, we'll talk about it, but, right now, I'm needed here," she said firmly.

"Merlin," Everest muttered, turning on his heel and walking out of there.

"What happened?" Cassia whispered.

Hermione sighed, still holding onto her. "Ron was..."

"Here, let's fix this, shall we?" she asked, transfiguring their gowns into sweaters and jeans, and their heels into sneakers. "Your gown is now upstairs on your bed," she said, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Now, why don't we go into the kitchen for a hot drink, and you can tell me what happened?"

Hermione wiped her eyes. "Y-yes, all right..."

"Good," Cassia said, as they walked along. "Now, start off from the beginning."

"Ron asked me to the ball as a last resort, but Viktor had already asked me," she said softly. "He didn't know until tonight, like everyone else—except for you and Ginny—about Viktor being my date, and he got mad at me. Then he had the nerve to say that Viktor wanted to be more than friends, and that he was using me, and was too old..."

"You can take care of yourself, Hermione," Cassia said gently, squeezing her shoulder as they walked into the kitchens, where the elves had set out plates of sandwiches for them, plus a pot of tea, onto one of the tables. "I'm sure that Viktor would be the victim of a Stinging Jinx, at the very least, if he acted inappropriately."

Hermione sighed, slipping into her seat, and Cassia moved across from her, encouraging her to pick up a sandwich, which she did. "Viktor's more of a physical being, anyhow..."

Cassia laughed, pouring them cups of tea. "Yeah? How do you mean?"

"He... He's not particularly loquacious," she replied with a little shrug. "I suppose talking about the tournament would have been beneficial for International Magical Cooperation, but all he did want was to learn how to pronounce my name correctly."

Cassia laughed aloud at that, and Hermione soon joined in. "Doesn't sound like too bad a night, admittedly—on Viktor's end, that is."

Hermione's brow puckered then, and she picked up her cup of tea. "You were arguing with Everest when you found me."

"We were having a disagreement, yes," Cassia said, biting into her sandwich.

"What about?"

Cassia swallowed her sandwich. "He caught me having a conversation with the twins' father, and there was a bit too much of our past involved... Ev didn't know who the twins' father was, but he does now, and he's not too pleased that I didn't tell him who it was."

"You think it could be the end? That you could lose him?"

Cassia sighed, blowing on her cup of tea. "I think, at the end of the day, we can't worry so much about what we've lost, because we need to think about what could be found," she replied, and Hermione nodded, for even the young witch could agree with that.


	11. Spy Out the Land

Cassia had just finished writing up a report on the rudimentary guard duty she'd been tasked with in Hogsmeade, relief filling her. It had been her final assignment day in the little village near Hogwarts, and, once her report was turned in, the task was officially over. She signed her name to the parchment, reporting that her final day had passed without incident, and set down her quill, drinking the antidote for her ability to write with her right hand temporarily. Setting down the vial and pocketing it, she got to her feet, stretching her limbs and banishing her piece of parchment towards Scrimgeour's office, who would look it over.

Everest came over once he saw her getting to her feet, and hesitated on the edge of her workplace cubicle. "Fancy a walk?" he asked, his tone nervous. He knew that he and Cassia had not seen eye-to-eye since their spat at the Yule Ball, nearly two months previously, and that the pair of them truly seemed to be just going through the motions.

Cassia nodded, grabbing her robes. "Sure," she replied.

Cassia and Everest walked out from between the cubicles and made their way over to the lifts in silence, with the lift operator figuring out that they wanted to get to the main floor. Once they were pushed and pulled in all directions, they were finally released, and made their way over to the fireplaces. Cassia got in after Everest had shouted for one of them to transport them to Diagon Alley, and they were belched out into the Leaky Cauldron, and Cassia couldn't help but remember their first date—Sunday roasts at an intimate table in the back, Tom positively beaming at serving two Aurors, and laughter...so much laughter.

Cassia consented to Everest taking her arm, and they made their way outside into the light snow, casting Warming Charms upon the two of them so as their Auror robes would be enough. As they trekked along the cobblestone street, Cassia peered into the various windows, knowing that she would have to make a trip here again soon, because the twins were clamoring for their very own familiars. At three-years-old, the pair of them were quite vocal, and running around the house casting accidental magic, so Cassia knew that, perhaps, a familiar for each of them would be just the ticket to calm them down.

Everest made his way over to a bench in a courtyard area of the alley, with a stone fountain of a witch and wizard embracing; the water inside of the basin was frozen, due to the weather around them, and its rim was covered in a thick layer of snow. Everest casted a spell to banish the snow from one of the benches, and heated it with a Warming Charm before he sat down upon it, patting the seat next to him for Cassia to join him, which she did.

"I would like to have a mature conversation, if that's all right."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, of course."

Everest sighed. "I was angry, the night of the ball. I didn't appreciate finding out that way that Snape had been the man in your life."

Cassia sighed, blowing out a puff of air, which was like a cloud leaving her mouth. "Yes, I can understand that, Everest. That was never my intention, to cause you pain. I think I'd be equally upset if I found out about an ex of yours like that."

Everest nodded, pleased that Cassia understood where he was coming from. "I hope you know how much you mean to me, Cassia, because, at the end of things, I'd hate to lose you. Which is why, I think it's time for us," he went on, banishing some ice from the ground around the bench and flawlessly casting both a Warming and Cushioning Charm as he knelt before her and reached into his suit pocket, "to really consider our future."

"Our future?" Cassia asked, swallowing, having a vague idea of what was coming.

"Yes," Everest replied. "You haven't let me move into the manor, because I think you want a more permanent arrangement, and I'm fully prepared to give that to you."

Cassia blinked. "Everest, I don't think that..."

Everest ignored her, taking a ring box from inside his inner pocket and flipping it open with the pad of his index finger. Inside was a ring with a gold band; a pearl was its center piece, and it formed the shape of a rose, with rubies acting as its petals, and with diamonds scattered in between the four ruby corners and the pearl in the center. "This was my grandmother's ring," the Auror continued, and Cassia felt a lump rising in her throat. "Cassia, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Cassia reached out, slowly then, and gently shut the ring box, before she shook her head. "I can't marry you, Everest. I can't marry you because we're not right for each other. We're not even in love, at the end of things. The only thing we have in common are our positions at the ministry, as well as our love of family..."

"That's enough to establish a marriage, Cassia—"

"No, it isn't, Everest," Cassia continued, her tone still holding gentility. "Without love, it would not be a proper marriage; not for me, anyway. I'm so sorry. If it was a perfect world, we would be in love, and then I'd be able to say yes." She reached out and gently pulled him back onto the bench beside her. "Wait for the right girl to give that ring to—one that makes you second guess everything, or trip when you're not looking, or makes you stop breathing for a moment. That's when you know you've found the one you're looking for."

Everest nodded, understanding. "And, I suppose, you've found that."

Cassia felt her heart hammering then, and found herself nodding. "Yes. I think I have," she whispered then, and leaned forward, kissing Everest on the cheek. "Goodbye," she said with a smile, and got to her feet, walking to the edge of the courtyard before Apparating away with a slight pop. She arrived at the gates of Hogwarts quickly then, and the wards immediately allowed her to transport herself through them. She dashed right on through, into the main doors, and ran past the Great Hall, and, because she'd had the sense to wear her robes, nobody stopped her, although she sensed people whispering about a deranged Auror running through the corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She ran for the staircase which led directly to the dungeons, heart hammering in her throat all over again, and rapped at the door to the potions classroom, but, surprisingly, heard nothing.

"Looking for Professor Snape?"

Cassia turned around then, smiling automatically. "Ah, Draco, good to see you," she said, and Draco beamed at the attention. "Yes, I am. Ministry business."

Draco nodded. "Of course," he said. "Sorry to tell you this, but he hasn't been here all week. We don't know what's happened to him, but after Moody changed me into a ferret, I'm not going to listen to his rumors on the subject."

Cassia blinked. "Moody changed you into a ferret?" she asked.

Draco nodded emphatically then. "He did—in full-view of _everyone_," he declared. "I told my father immediately, but, it seems, Moody has friends in high places as well, and I wasn't able to get him sacked."

Cassia swallowed. "I work with Moody," she said softly. "I think something's going on with him, Draco, but keep that to yourself."

Draco nodded. "Of course."

Cassia smiled. "Well, as Professor Snape is not here, I'm afraid I'll have to return to the ministry at once. These are strange times, Draco, and an Auror going missing is never an acceptable thing," she joked, and Draco laughed, but even Cassia knew that, even behind the blond façade of the body, that things were truly about to change.

. . .

Cassia was back at Hogwarts ten days later, and was at Barty's side when they were transported to the stands in the center of the Black Lake. They were in the top box, which also housed Albus, Moody, Minerva, Severus, Filius, Pomona, Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime. A lump entered Cassia's throat then; Harry had asked her if she had seen Ron and Hermione and, of course, she had had to keep her mouth shut as to where they really were. Of course, Cho Chang and Gabrielle Delacour were missing as well, but she wasn't as close to Cedric Diggory or Fleur Delacour, so it's not like they peppered her with questions as to their whereabouts.

"I don't like this," Cassia whispered to Barty as the champions dove into the water, with Moody smacking Harry into action, and the fourteen-year-old fell from the dock. Her jaw dropped open a moment later when Harry, who had seemed to grow gills and fins, threw himself out of the water with a rousing cheer, which excited the crowd to no end, and Cassia bit her lip, spotting Rita Skeeter and her Quick-Quotes Quill hastily scrawling down what had happened.

"Gillyweed," Severus muttered, and Cassia turned, surprised that he was standing right beside her. "That brat has stolen from my personal stores!"

"Leave him alone, Severus," Cassia hissed at him, gripping the bar in front of them with her gloved hands. "For once, let him slide. It was for the good of the tournament. Can't you go five minutes without scolding him?"

Severus turned to Cassia then, the look in the never-ending pools of black of his eyes seeming to size her up. "You must know by now, Auror Serbus, that such a thing is impossible. I do no do well with leaving others alone."

Cassia flushed maddeningly then, and turned her attention back to the lake below. She didn't understand why Severus sought to put himself under her skin at every turn, and the thundering of her heard did nothing to help matters. Not two minutes later, Fleur came up with a frightened expression on her face, and Albus made the announcement that she was unable to continue participating in the second task; Madame Maxime hurried down from the top box to be with her student, while the other students from Beauxbatons surrounded the part-Veela witch with a robe and towels, and made serious attempts to comfort her.

Cassia bit down hard on her lower lip, still feeling Severus's eyes upon her, and hoped that by gripping the beam in front of them, that it would distract her. However, it did no good, and even as she turned her head to attempt to hear what Barty was whispering to her, she still felt the gaze of the potions professor upon her. As she stared at the deep gray pools of the lake, lost in its ripples, she almost didn't notice when Cedric and Cho burst forth from its depths, Cedric gently guiding his girlfriend back towards the ledge of where the champions were permitted to go once the rescue mission was complete, while Cho waved to the crowd.

Even Cassia threw herself back with a gasp, Severus giving Barty a scathing look when he was the one to catch her, when Viktor Krum surfaced a few minutes after Cedric, with a shark for a head, Hermione at his side. Cassia felt relieved that the spell to hold Hermione frozen beneath the water's depths did release her until Krum had transformed back into his human form, and she could feel Karkaroff's grin from behind her as he launched himself from the top box to go and congratulate his favorite student.

"Crouch needs to keep his hands to himself," Severus growled under his breath.

"So do you," Cassia bit back. She leaned forward, watching as the minutes ticked by; the champions only had an hour in which to complete the task, and things were getting dangerously close. Cassia worried for Harry, especially when Ron and little Gabriella Delacour surfaced without him, although she was surprised that Fleur's younger sister was there at all. "Barty, where is he?" she whispered, but Barty shook his head, obviously not knowing the answer to her obvious question.

"A grindylow likely got to him," Severus muttered.

"A what now?!" Cassia demanded.

"An aquatic creature," Severus replied dismissively. "The impertinent brat obviously didn't follow the rules of the task, and so he will be punished for it."

Cassia let out a gasp then; she wanted to hit him, to range at him, to demand to know what was the matter, but she couldn't. With her magic thrumming beneath the surface, and, not knowing how she managed to pull it off, she Apparated. She found herself upon the banks of the Black Lake, seeing that the various witness boxes were way out in the distance, and she turned on her heel. She made her way towards the owlery, conjuring parchment, a quill, and some ink, and found an owl, sending the letter to Barty, letting him know that she was for Harry no matter what the judges said, and that she just couldn't stand beside Severus Snape any longer. A lump lodged itself in her throat as she watched the owl jump from the stone window of the owlery, its wings a deep gray dot on the horizon, as it made its way to the Black Lake, where Severus and everyone else still stood, before Cassia turned around, and made her way slowly to the Hogwarts gates to get away from there.

. . .

Cassia gripped the parchment in her hands as she stood outside the black, wrought iron gates on a street in Muggle London. The gates were made from the same material as the Hogwarts gates, except these ones were smaller and more understated, with white stone pillars on either side, and ornate, white spheres decorating the tops of them. Cassia stood upon the stones of the street and pushed open the gate; it squeaked slightly in protest as she did so, but moved closed as soon as she had passed through it. Gripping the parchment firmly in her hand, she stepped forward, and noticed, for the first time, that the building beyond featured numbers eleven and thirteen, but the number twelve was noticeably missing.

Cocking her head to one side and looking down at the parchment, it indicated where she was to stand among the stones at her feet. Moving slightly, she tapped the indicated one with her Auror boot, and the building then seemed to split down the middle, thus revealing the hidden number twelve. Cassia looked behind her then, and saw Muggles passing by the gates on the sidewalks beyond, and none of them were any the wiser. Cassia turned back around as the door came into view, and pushed upon it; the wards gave way immediately, and she stepped inside the dark hallway, pocketing the parchment and shutting the door behind her.

"Hello?" she called into the darkness, before grabbing her wand from her pocket. "Lumos," she whispered, and the white beam of light came out from the tip of her wand, and she wandered down the passageway, looking around. She saw a door at the end of the hallway, and a staircase just to the left of that. Walking forward, she went directly towards the door and pushed it open, coming face-to-face with a weathered-looking house-elf, who glared up at her. "Kreacher?" she asked it, and he barred his teeth.

"Mistress won't take too kindly to a Half-Blood breaking into her house," he stated.

Cassia gritted her teeth. "Is Sirius here?" she demanded of him.

"Yes, Master Sirius is upstairs," came the reply.

"Thank you," Cassia said, and turned swiftly on her heel, not letting the beaten-down creature get to her as she went up the staircase, which was covered with a moth-eaten carpet. She ignored it and stepped on it, all the way up, and whispered, "Homenum Revelio," and felt the presence of another magical being quickly, in the center room on that floor. Stepping forward, she gently pushed at the door, which opened quickly, and Sirius stood there, staring down at her. "Sirius," she said then, hesitating for a moment.

Sirius knocked her wand from her hand, and it clattered to the floor and, before Cassia could even react, Sirius caught her up into his arms and into a massive bear-hug. "Thank Merlin, it's you, Cassia," he said.

Cassia felt her heart pounding then; normally, she would have pushed anyone away who would have dared touch her like this without permission. However, she felt immediately at ease in Sirius's arms, and wondered why that way. She felt a little sorry when he let her down, but she opened her hand, mentally summoning her wand back into it, and it came willingly, before Cassia pocketed it. "It's not just a visit, I'm afraid."

Sirius nodded, shutting his bedroom door and putting an arm around Cassia's waist, bringing her back downstairs and towards a living room. "Kreacher," he intoned, and the house-elf came into the room. "Have a tea service made up at once."

"Mistress won't like a filthy Half-Blood—" Kreacher began.

"That's enough, Kreacher!" Sirius thundered. "Away with you!"

"Yes, master. Kreacher longs to serve the House of Black," the house-elf said, before slipping from the room and back into the kitchen.

"He's a charming one, isn't he?" Cassia asked.

Sirius turned his blue eyes onto Cassia. "I do hope he didn't say anything else to you. Pay him no mind, please."

Cassia smiled. She lifted her wand from her pocket then and waved it around the room, cleaning up the clutter which seemed to be living there, and, a moment later, the room was hospitable again, much to Sirius's amusement. She sat on the couch, and Sirius immediately moved to take the seat beside her. "Albus actually sent me."

Sirius nodded. "How can I help?"

"He's scoping out locations for something—I don't know what," she said with a shrug. "He said that you would know, however."

Sirius nodded, keeping his mouth shut as Kreacher came stumbling back into the room, muttering to himself, and placed the tea tray upon the glass-topped table, opposite the couch, before he left the room, still muttering. "Sorry about him," Sirius said. "Loved my brother Regulus to no end. That love didn't apply to me, however."

Cassia leaned forward and set to work preparing their tea, smiling at Sirius for a moment to assure him that she didn't mind performing the task. "Sounds very much like how it was in my family growing up," she said softly. "My mother was the witch, and I didn't showcase my accidental magic when she deemed it appropriate. I was labeled as a Squib from the time I was a little girl, and my younger brother, Edgar, who showed-off his own magic immediately, was the apple of her eye. Of course," she went on, levitating a tea cup towards Sirius, who took it, "it didn't help matters that the Romano family had been sorted into Horned Serpent for centuries, and I was the thought-to-be Squib odd duck who made Thunderbird."

"Pure-Bloods have the capability of being terribly cruel," Sirius whispered, adding two sugars and cream to his cup before stirring it.

Cassia nodded. She took off her Auror robes, banishing them to the coat rack in the corner, and leaned forward, the markers of her Cruciatus Curse coming into view as she went for a slice of cake that Kreacher had provided.

"The marks from your grandfather?"

Cassia looked over her shoulder, and nodded. "Yes."

Sirius set aside his teacup then, and leaned forward, taking her wrists gently into his hands, and ran his thumbs along the marks. "No one should ever have to go through that, if they are not deserving of it."

Cassia raised her eyes to his, heart hammering in her throat at the contact. "No, you're right," she said quietly. "Albus..."

"Yes, of course," Sirius said, squeezing her wrists before letting them go, which allowed Cassia to get the slice of cake she wanted. "You said he wanted your help with scoping out locations for something?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. But he didn't tell me what for, just that you would know, and that, perhaps, Grimmauld Place would be a good place to start."

Sirius nodded back at her. "I am fully prepared to help Albus in any way I can."

Cassia smiled. "Albus will be pleased to hear that."

"You're beautiful," Sirius said quietly.

Cassia, who had, meanwhile, taken a bite of the cake that Kreacher had brought in for them, felt her face color immediately. She covered her mouth with her hand, and stared at him. "What?" she asked, her mouth still full.

Sirius smiled at the lack of propriety that Cassia exhibited; in his mind, it was refreshing. "I don't get very many visitors," he confessed. "You're truly a highlight, Cassia."

Cassia felt herself flushing more deeply. "Thank you," she replied.

. . .

Cassia's first kiss with Sirius had been a delight, like waking up from a long sleep. It was as if she could see color again, and their lack of grace when it came to their romantic fumbling's over the next several weeks were wonderful. The second visit had come and gone with their first kiss and Sirius seemed to be over the moon, and claimed he was mad for her, which made Cassia flush with delight. In the weeks that followed, they tentatively added on more memories into whatever it was that they were doing, although calls from the ministry—or from Albus, ever the cock-blocker—stopped them from going too far.

It wasn't until late-May that things reached a head; the third task was on the books to happen in a month at Hogwarts, and Cassia was going over some paperwork in the Auror Office. She had temporarily lost herself in thinking of Sirius slamming her up against one of the library walls at Grimmauld Place before duty had called, but launched to her feet in the wake of someone sounding the alarm. She found Tonks in the crowd, followed by Kingsley, and they ran to the general meeting space, where Minister Fudge stood to address them all.

"I know that there is much work to be done, as spring begins to wind to a close," the minister said, his tone grave beyond measure, "which is why I will tell you all this mournful message in a timely manner. There are reports of a death, and I wanted you all to be made aware of it before it hits the Evening Edition of _The Daily Profit_," he continued, obviously distraught over something, but what? "Reports have informed me that Bartemius Crouch, Sr., our Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, has been found dead in the Forbidden Forest, on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now," Fudge continued, which sent a wave of panic throughout the gathered crowd, "there will be much mourning on the subject, which is why change is in order." Fudge clapped his hands then, and various banners, decorations, and the Auror and other robes quickly changed to the somber black color that could be seen in funeral portraits. "Whoever wishes to volunteer for the task force to solve the investigation into his death, every hand is welcome."

"Me," Cassia said, shocked that she was speaking, and moved through the crowd, to the front, so as she stood just below Fudge's platform.

"Ah, Auror Serbus," Fudge replied. "You were tasked as being the Auror accompanying Barty to Hogwarts to supervise the Triwizard Tournament."

Cassia nodded. "That is correct, minister."

"You will not replace him in his duties at Hogwarts," said Fudge with a quick wave of his hand, as if to dismiss her.

"I would also like a place on the investigation task force of his murder, minister," Cassia said, standing her ground. "I know I haven't been here long, and people may deem me an outsider, given where I was born, but I knew Barty, sir. I won't rest until his killer is brought to justice, minister, which is why I want a place on the task force."

Fudge grimaced, seeing that he was not going to win and, furthermore, that Cassia would likely prove to be a thorn in his side if he didn't give the young witch her own way. "Very well, Auror Serbus, you will be in a team headed by Auror Shacklebolt. Dismissed."

Cassia stumbled backwards then, nodding minutely to the minister, and somehow found her way through the crowd. She packed up her desk for the day, and went downstairs to the Apparition Point, hardly knowing where she was going. However, she had a vague idea of where she was when she ended up in the hallway outside of Sirius's bedroom at Grimmauld Place, and pushed her way in as she had done on that first day. She spotted Sirius across the room, sitting in an armchair beside his fireplace, a heavy volume in his hand, and stepped forward, pushing the door shut behind her.

"Cassia?" Sirius asked, getting to his feet. "You're in black. What...?"

"Crouch is dead," she said, her tone flat as she unclipped her Auror robes. She felt Sirius's eyes on her as she brought her fingers to the buttons on her blouse. "They found him in the Forbidden Forest on the Hogwarts grounds."

Sirius shook his head. "Dear Merlin... He didn't spend enough time with his son," he said quietly, looking remorseful. "Perhaps if he left early once in a while, he could have..." He cut himself off then, watching as Cassia, who had dropped her blouse onto the floor of his bedroom, and was in the process of pulling down the trousers, before stopping to unzip her knee-length leather boots. "Cassia..."

"Please," she whispered, banishing her clothes, so that they were scattered around her. She took out the clip which had held her golden-brown hair in place, and allowed her hair to resemble a curtain down her back as she stepped forward. "I know you felt this, whatever it is between us, since the cave in Hogsmeade. Tell me I'm not dreaming, and that you felt it."

Sirius nodded. "I felt it, Cassia, but that doesn't change the fact that I am still a wanted man," he stated firmly. "Not to mention over a decade older than you..."

"I don't care about that, any of it," she whispered, and stepped forward so that she was nearly touching him. "The age difference between us doesn't bother me, and you being wanted doesn't matter either. You're innocent, and we'll figure out a way to clear your name somehow. I _want_ this; I want you," she said, staring up at him.

Sirius stared down at her then, before he slowly reached up and cradled her neck, bringing her close to him, and kissed her, but soon found himself hungering for more, before he pulled her closer to taste her. "You're so young," he whispered, his tone throaty. "So young, so beautiful, so perfect..."

Cassia shuddered, watching as his other hand reached up and tugged at her nipples, which made her toes curl quickly. Of course, it was on a different level of what Severus was capable of making her feel, and yet, despite everything, Cassia believed that she was only satisfying a hunger for the attraction she felt over the fellow Animagus, and nothing more. "Please," she whispered again, and his eyes caught hers. "Please. I want you..."

Sirius nodded, banishing his clothes and lifting her almost effortlessly, and gently laying her down on the bed behind them. He was gentle; he was meticulous; he was careful. And while it was a pleasant experience, Sirius did not bring her to new heights, as Severus Snape had done, and Cassia had the distinct feeling that lovemaking was officially ruined for her forever.

. . .

"He's still in my life, you know," Cassia whispered to Sirius, over a fortnight later, as they sat in Sirius's bed. Cassia was wrapped up in a light robe she'd conjured for herself; other than Severus, none of her other partners made her feel comfortable enough to remain naked after lovemaking, or whatever it was that they did in bed.

Sirius turned his head to look at her. "Who's still in your life?"

Cassia swallowed. "Sebastian and Circe's father," she said, knowing that she couldn't tell Sirius the entire truth, but wanted the semblance of honesty here. "Everest, my ex, found out in the wrong way who it was. I can't tell you who he is yet, just that he's a wizard, and that you know him quite well. And no, it's not Albus."

Sirius laughed. "No. I didn't expect it to be."

"I also don't know what this is," she confessed then, leaning her head back on the black walnut headboard behind her. "I mean, I don't even know if I can..."

"Can...what?"

Cassia bit her lip. "He... Sebastian and Circe's father, I think he may have ruined things for me," she told Sirius. "When I was with Everest, I couldn't shake him. And, after Everest found out who he was, things soured beyond repair between us. Everest actually thought that proposing was the right way to go, but I couldn't..."

"Do you love him?"

Cassia turned and looked at him. "What?"

"Sebastian and Circe's father. Do you love him?"

"I did love him, at one time," Cassia said, stumbling over the words. "I... I fell pretty hard for him soon after we met. We met when I was seventeen, but I kept my distance until after I was eighteen, when I couldn't take it anymore. And then the twins were born and we were apart for a time, and then we... We tried..." She hunched her shoulders.

"What drove you apart?"

"His first love, of all things," Cassia whispered. "He just couldn't shake her. And I sent him away, and have blocked his attempts to get back into my life on that level."

Sirius stared at Cassia. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't know if I can make the leap from _this_," she said, gesturing to the mess of a bed around them, "into a relationship."

Sirius nodded, catching ahold of one of her hands, and permitted the pad of his thumb to drag itself across his knuckles. "Do I make you happy?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes."

"And you're happy with just...this?" he asked, motioning around the bed.

Cassia nodded. "I am. Are you?"

He smiled. "If this is all you can give me, Cassia, then that's fine. I'll wait, if you want to keep going for a time. However, if you think, at any time, that you can't do this anymore, just tell me, and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Cassia smiled at him. "I appreciate that."

Sirius nodded. "You're welcome."

. . .

Cassia stood close to Ron and Hermione, in the stands for the third and final task. Harry and Cedric had gone into the maze first, as their scores reflected that they were second and first place respectively. Viktor Krum would go next, followed by Fleur Delacour, and then it would truly be known whoever reached the cup first would be the Triwizard Champion. Cassia had felt uneasy all day long, but didn't let onto it towards Ron and Hermione—the fifteen-year-olds had enough to worry about without an Auror panicking on them.

It wasn't until later, when Cassia felt a searing pain in her heart that she knew something was wrong, and she let out a gasp then. "Auror business," she whispered to Ron and Hermione and darted through the crowd, heart-pounding. She was caught by the wrist a moment later, and, when she turned, saw Moody glaring down at her. "You..." She whispered, her eyes widening then, and looking him up and down. "You... You're not..."

Moody, or whoever he was, glowered down at her. "Just couldn't leave well-enough alone, now could you, girly?!" he demanded of her, his hand digging into her arm.

Cassia broke away from him then, the images swirling around in her mind, blinding her; she saw a green liquid—Polyjuice Potion—and the man who matched the description of who had casted the Dark Mark over the finale Quidditch World Cup, who was speaking to someone, hidden, as well as Peter Pettigrew, simpering as usual, with a snake slithering around the room. She collapsed immediately in the darkness around the stands, only peering up through her hair when she heard cries of anguish throughout the area, and spotted Harry, over the dead body of Cedric Diggory.

"Cassia," said a voice, and she looked up then, breathing heavily, and permitted Severus to bring her to her feet. "What's wrong?"

Cassia peered through the crowd then, seeing Moody dragging Harry away. "Get... Get Harry away from him!" she shouted.

Severus followed her gaze, before looking back at her. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It... It's not Moody!" she cried out desperately. "It's a Death Eater! _He_'_s_ a Death Eater! He's been taking Polyjuice Potion!" she yelled. She shuddered then. "He's back, isn't he? That's what all of this was? Voldemort letting one of his followers in... Go after him! He'll kill Harry if you don't stop him!" she cried out.

Severus put an arm around her waist and dragged her along, and in her weakened state, Cassia couldn't summon the energy to protest. "Albus," Severus intoned as Minerva joined them. "It seems as though Moody is not who he appears."

Albus looked at Severus for a moment, before taking in the disheveled state of Cassia. "Cassia, why, what's the matter, my girl?"

Cassia sighed, weakening as Severus brought her into the entrance of the castle, Minerva and Albus at their heels. "Moody... He's not Moody," she whispered, and Albus stared at her in a moment of shock. "I... Whoever he was grabbed me, and I was able to see into his mind. I'm a Seer," she said, her voice breaking, as tears blinded her vision. "He... He took Harry! He's a Death Eater, Albus! You've got to go and get to him _now_!"

"Who was he, Cassia?" Albus whispered.

Cassia's mouth opened then. "He... He looked like Barty... In the eyes," she said, feeling as though she would faint, as her knees buckled.

"Albus, we must go!" Minerva said.

Albus looked up at the potions master. "Severus..."

"I will not leave her," he said, his tone firm.

"Severus, please, you have to go," she whispered, she smiled up at him, touching his face for a fleeting moment. "Go, I'm all right. I shall meet you...later. Just... Just save Harry..." She gripped onto the wall as Severus let her go, dashing at the heels of Albus and Minerva, as she somehow managed to claw her way down towards the dungeons.

There were no fireplaces out here, so she could hardly Floo there, and even if she had the energy to Apparate, doing so within the walls of Hogwarts was a damn near impossible feat. She stumbled down the staircase, leading into the dungeons, and walked towards the outer door of Severus's private chambers, managing to bypass the wards and let herself in. Cassia briefly wondered if the wards were weakened because she was so powerful, or that Severus had allowed her to bypass them without his permission.

Shaking her head at her thoughts, Cassia managed to get to the couch, throwing herself down upon the piece of furniture, and whispered, "Accio Calming Draught, accio Wiggenweld Potion, accio Invigoration Draught."

Three vials—blue, green, and orange in color—flew into her hands from Severus's personal stores within his private chambers. Cassia managed to yank the stoppers from all three and consumed them quickly, before she leapt to her feet; she was calm, no longer in pain, and her energy had been restored. She swallowed, knowing that over-thinking what had happened tonight would surely make her head spin, and she distracted herself by looking over the bookshelves in Severus's sitting room.

A few moments later, the door flew open, and Severus stood on the threshold; Cassia turned as the door came open, looking over her shoulder at him. Severus shut the door behind him and sealed it, crossing over and pulling Cassia into his arms. "Are you all right?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes, Severus, I'm fine. I took some of your potions—Calming, and Invigoration Drought, and a Wiggenweld Potion. I'll replace them, I swear."

"Although I don't doubt your brewing skills, that is not necessary."

Cassia smiled, loving the sensation of him holding her, of being in his arms, of hearing their hearts beating as one. "Very well, then." She hesitated. "How is Harry?"

"He will be all right. He is with Albus now," Severus assured her. "The man in question, who was masquerading as Alastor Moody, was, in fact, Death Eater Barty Crouch, Jr. He will be given the Dementor's Kiss, as it seems that Azkaban isn't enough for him."

"Good riddance," Cassia whispered. She bit her lip. "Something strange happened tonight, before I caught wind of Crouch Jr.'s identity."

Severus pulled back slightly, so that he was looking down at her. "What?"

"I... I was in pain," she whispered. "The visions, no matter how graphic or violent in nature, cause me emotional pain, sure, but tonight, even before I found out who Crouch Jr. was, I felt physical pain as well. That's why I was running, away from Ron and Hermione, because I literally was having trouble breathing."

Severus stared down at her. "Where did you hurt?"

Cassia reached down then, taking one of his hands in hers and placing it on her chest. "Here. I hurt here," she whispered. "It wasn't like what the Muggles call it—a panic attack—and it certainly wasn't a heart attack, as I could still feel both sides of my body. I can't explain it, Severus, but, perhaps, you can..."

Severus sighed. "It seems as though your devotion to young Potter is far deeper than we have ever imagined. And, that Albus's assumption, that the two of you would be bonded in more ways than one, is correct."

Cassia's brows knit together. "Please. Explain it to me."

"It seems as though you have developed a bond with Potter—a physical one—meaning that you will be able to take in some of his pain for him. It only happens with close friends, family members, or lovers."

"Well, he's certainly not going to be the final option," Cassia said with a snort. "I see him as my little brother, or a close friend. Nothing more."

Severus sighed. "He would be an improvement, over many wizards, Cassia..."

Cassia shook her head at him, gently running her fingers through his hair. "That's not true..."

"No, Cassia. It is. I-I'm so sorry," he whispered against her hair, and Cassia shivered at the hot breath on her scalp. "For everything, I..." He shook his head, pulling back, and Cassia felt immediately ill at ease when he broke away from her. "You were right. You _do_ deserve better than me and I... I'll step aside, for your true happiness."

Cassia shook her head then, knowing that this was precisely why she could not make a formal commitment to Sirius. "You don't get it, do you?"

Severus looked up at her. "Don't get what?"

Cassia smiled at him then, feeling tears suspending themselves in her lashes. "After tonight, everything's going to change, now that your Dark Lord is back..."

"He is not my Dark Lord, Cassia..."

"Well, maybe not anymore," she allowed, "but you will still have to pretend to be loyal to him, all for the Greater Good."

Severus nodded. "So it would seem."

Cassia stepped forward then, taking his face into her hands. "The thing you don't get here, Severus, is that, no matter what, I will always love you."

Severus raised her eyes to hers. "You... After everything?"

She nodded at him with a smile. "Yes. After everything. I love you."

Severus yanked her towards him then, kissing her, and tilted her chin up with his nose, so as to such at the sensitive skin at her neck. "How am I enough?" he whispered then. "I don't even know if I can give you everything you want, or deserve..."

"One step at a time, Severus," she whispered. "I love you. And I'm yours."

"Even though I shall have to put on that godforsaken mask—"

Cassia closed the distance between them and kissed him, with all the passion she could, and permitted him to taste her more deeply than he'd ever dared. "I want this. I want you. I want to be whole again, Severus. I... I can't..."

"What about Everest?" Severus asked.

"Ended things with him in February, because I couldn't give him the answer he wanted," she told him simply.

Severus's dark brows came together then. "Answer?"

"To his marriage proposal."

Severus tightened his grip on Cassia. "I'll curse him."

"You will not," Cassia told him, her tone indulgent as she smiled up at him. "At the end of the day, nothing matters as long as we're all safe, for now, and that we're together."

Severus lifted her up then without a moment's hesitation, and took her into his bedroom, pushing her down onto the mattress, before banishing their clothes as quickly as he could. He did not go slowly, but it was wonderfully tender as he found himself pounding Cassia relentlessly into the mattress, and Cassia clung to him for dear life. They screamed each other's names for a solid hour until Severus collapsed beside her, never letting her go.

. . .

It was the beam of light which entered Severus's bedroom, about an hour before midnight, which startled Cassia awake. The Jack rabbit pranced forward, and bowed to them, and Cassia promptly shook Severus awake, and stared at the Patronus, who waited for Severus to rub the sleep from his eyes. The Patronus, meanwhile, had hopped onto the edge of the bed, watching the pair of them intently before it spoke.

"Cassia, Albus has summoned us to headquarters—Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, for the first meeting of the Second Order of the Phoenix. Better hurry."

The Patronus faded, and a phoenix Patronus arrived shortly thereafter, with Albus's voice giving Severus the same message. Cassia and Severus threw themselves from the bed as the Patronus flew out the window, and the witch and wizard summoned their clothes towards them. After a hasty Cleaning Spell, Cassia threw up her hair, and they walked out of Severus's inner rooms before going to his Floo, and stepping into Grimmauld Place shortly thereafter.

"You go first," Severus whispered.

Cassia blinked, turning to look up at him. "Why?"

Severus smiled, before pulling Cassia lengthwise against him and kissing her. "As much as I would love to walk in there, with you on my arm, proclaiming you to be mine, I am afraid that now is not the time. However, as soon as we're done here, you are returning with me to my rooms at Hogwarts, and you're not leaving until the morning."

Cassia nodded up at him. "Yes," she whispered, kissing him one last time before she walked out of the living room and towards the kitchen at the end of the hallway. She threw open the door and sat down in the seat between Tonks and Charlie; in addition to them, Kingsley, Remus, Albus, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Minerva, Hagrid, Bill Weasley, and Sirius all sat around the table. Cassia embraced Tonks and smiled at her, joining in their whispered conversation before Severus arrived shortly thereafter, and sat beside Albus, while Sirius and Remus visibly sneered at him.

"Now, now, none of that, my boys," Albus said. "I've called this meeting to inform you that tonight, during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, Lord Voldemort made his return, and made his play for Harry's death."

"Is he all right, Albus?!" Sirius demanded. "Harry."

"Potter will live," Severus replied dryly.

Molly glared at Severus and turned to Albus. "How is he holding up?"

"He is shaken, but Poppy gave him a Dreamless Sleep Potion," Albus said. "Also tonight, it appears as if Pettigrew killed Cedric Diggory under Voldemort's orders."

"Merlin, no!" Arthur whispered.

"I am afraid so, Arthur," Albus said, shooting him a compassionate gaze. "As such, Severus will resume his duties as spy for the Death Eater camp," he went on, and Severus bowed his head in submission and agreement, "except, this time around, he will have a partner."

"Who do you suggest, Albus?" Minerva asked. "Voldemort is aware of who most of us are and, quite frankly, it would be seen as dangerous if one of us appeared to be going turncoat this late in the game..."

"I have made an executive decision on the matter already," Albus assured Minerva with a small smile towards his friend. "From here on, with Kingsley's permission, pending her approval, Cassia will go with Severus to Death Eater meetings, in the hopes that she curries favor with Voldemort and joins his ranks, as a spy for the Light."

Severus turned to Albus immediately then. "You cannot be serious!"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, and gripped at the table they all sat around. "I hardly think that is a good decision, Albus."

"What's it to you, Black?" Severus sneered before turning back to the headmaster. "She is a competent Auror, to be sure, Albus, but actually throwing her into the fray, with no spying experience whatsoever, is not only ill-advised, but pure suicide."

"I won't have it, Albus," Molly said, getting to her feet and walking around the table, placing her hands on Cassia's shoulders. "She is only twenty-three-years old. And I will not stand for her going into the camp like that. She is practically our daughter..."

"While I appreciate the concern, Molly," Cassia said, patting the older witch's hands, "I am not underage, nor am I legally your child. I am afraid that the choice about me entering the spy game is not your decision."

"She's right, Molly," Arthur whispered, although Cassia could see by his expression that he didn't like it.

"You're not coming, and that's final," Severus growled.

"I beg to differ," Cassia countered, before looking at Albus. "I am doing this for the Greater Good, Albus; screw my background and what was being force-fed down my throat from the time I was born. I may not be a Pure-Blood Supremacist, and I may have escaped that life by coming here and making a new life for myself, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to act like a proper one at the best, or worst, of times."

Albus's eyes twinkled. "Do we have your answer then, dear girl?"

"You do," Cassia said steadily as she lifted her chin; despite their love and loyalty towards her, nobody here could tell her what to do, or how to think, and the decision was all hers. "My answer is one of acceptance, Albus. I accept the assignment. I will join Severus during the meetings, curry favor with the Dark Lord, and raise within the ranks, reporting back to you."

"If I may, Albus," Minerva said, cutting across her, "perhaps Tonks would be a more appropriate candidate, given that she has no children..."

"The hell she would be," Remus growled, and Tonks blushed becomingly.

"I am well-aware of the existence of Cassia's children, Minerva, but Cassia has already given her answer to us. Cassia, Severus will keep you appraised of the Death Eater meetings, as we have no plans to permit you to be marked..."

"I will become marked, if it comes to that," Cassia said. "While I may not believe with the system the Dark Lord proposes, if it blows my cover not to submit to a marking, then I am afraid I must. Submit," she said, repeating the word, as if to drive the point home.

"Very well, then," Albus said, rubbing his hands together. "Severus, go and teach Cassia the ways of being a Death Eater spy for the Light. I am sure you will want to keep her well-prepared for her new role."

Severus grimaced and got to his feet. "Come along, Serbus," he said, as if his teachings were more valuable than a million Galleons, and walked out of the room.

Cassia followed Severus out of the room, and ultimately back to his private chambers at Hogwarts, and followed him into his bedroom. They undressed in the darkness, and lay together, naked, in Severus's large bed, Cassia with her head on his shoulder, and Severus with his arms wrapped tightly around her curvaceous frame. They lay in silence for several minutes, before Cassia finally spoke.

"It'll be all right..."

"How can you say that?" he whispered.

She grimaced. "It is my curse to see it," she replied.

Severus stiffened, remembering him calling her ability that very word. "I won't lose you again, Cassia. I can't."

Cassia moved on top of him then, and his eyes met hers in the darkness. "And you won't," she assured him, pressing a kiss onto his lips. "Never again, Severus. And I'll tell you all the time what you mean to me, in case the worst does happen."

Severus tightened his grip around her then. "What do you see?"

"Nothing yet," she admitted, biting down hard on her lower lip. "The future seems to be shrouded in mystery, I'm afraid, because everything is truly about to change."


	12. Hidden in Plain Sight

Cassia bypassed the wards and let herself into Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, ignoring the spews of hatred that came forth from the aging Kreacher's lips. She stood in the front hallway, trying to breathe steadily; she absolutely hated hurting people, as it was not in her nature to do so readily, but she knew that honesty was always the best policy. Forcing herself to move, she went down the hallway and towards the base of the stairs, sending her bobcat up the staircase, with the message that Sirius meet her in the living room.

She turned around then and walked into the said room, perching on the window seat as far away from the couch as she could. There was a piano pushed up against the nearby wall, and Cassia wondered how out-of-tune it was. Her father played the instrument, as well as guitar, in his downtime, and would frequently sing throughout playing either instrument. While none of his children learned instruments, Cassia had learned to sing, with her mother paying a Muggle woman to teach her singing from the time she was four-years-old.

Cassia looked up as Sirius stepped into the room, his expression warming as he caught sight of her. Cassia forced herself to her feet, turning her face to the side in an automatic gesture when Sirius reached out to greet her with a kiss, pressing his lips briefly onto her cheek before he stepped backwards, eyeing her curiously. "Look, I've been told since I was a child that honesty is the best policy, Sirius, and I need to tell you something."

Sirius blinked his blue eyes, confused. "Very well, then. Tell me."

"We can't do this anymore—what we've been doing," she said quietly.

Sirius stared at Cassia in shock. "Have I done something? Is it because I cannot take you out, on a proper date? You know that I'm still a wanted man by the ministry, Cassia..."

Cassia shook her head, which cut him off. "No. I told you that that didn't matter to me, and I was telling you the truth," she told him, her voice firm. "And of course I know that you are still wanted, Sirius, no matter how wrong that may be, considering I work for the very cooperation that wants you."

Sirius lowered his eyes. "But... You don't."

"Not in that way, no," she whispered, truly hating herself in that moment. "I'm so sorry, Sirius, but I did tell you that my children's father was still in my life..."

"So, it's because of him, then? He wants you back?"

"Yes, and I love him," Cassia said, her voice breaking slightly at the words. "I don't know if he'll ever love me back, but Cedric Diggory's death was a wake-up call, and one I needed, Sirius," she told him, her tone desperate. "We need each other, him and I, and we're bonded because of Sebastian and Circe, and that's not a bond that can be broken. I've loved him since I was seventeen-years-old, and I can't just turn my feelings off and pretend any longer. I tried moving on, first with Everest and then with you, but I can't do that anymore. I want him, and I love him, and he wants me, too."

"And love?" Sirius asked, raising his eyes to hers. "What about love, Cassia? You deserve to be loved as much as he does."

_You wouldn_'_t think that_, _if you knew him_, Cassia thought to herself. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to him, and stepped forward, squeezing his hand. "I never wanted to put you through this, Sirius, and I blame myself entirely for allowing it to get this far. I was not using you, but, then again, maybe I was..."

"You didn't. I wanted the same things you wanted, Cassia, and you were honest with me soon after we became intimate. I have no hold over you, but I'm just sorry that I started falling for you anyhow."

Cassia nodded. "I know. And I'm sorry about that, too." She stepped forward and pressed a light kiss onto his cheek. "You'll find someone much better than me," she assured him. "Goodbye, Sirius," she said, her eyes filling with tears as her voice broke, and she turned around and fled the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

. . .

Cassia wore a form-fitting black dress that evening, the night of Harry's fifteenth birthday, and wrapped a long black robe around her as she readied herself in her bedroom at Prince Manor, and did not skimp on the Cooling Charms. Tonks, who was not speaking to her more than she absolutely could, was in charge of watching Sebastian and Circe with Perry that evening, and Cassia felt herself filling with trepidation. She brushed out her long, golden-brown hair, before clipping an emerald pin into it to hold it partially in place as she stepped closer to the fireplace in the master bedroom suite, and Floo'd to Severus's private rooms at Hogwarts.

"Severus?" she called as she stepped through, and Severus walked out of his bedroom, garbed in a similar black robe, holding the Death Eater mask in his hand. She swallowed then and stepped forward, throwing her arms around him and kissing him.

"Are you all right?" he asked, putting his forehead against hers.

Cassia swallowed. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared out of my mind."

Severus held her close against him. "No reason to be. I've informed the Dark Lord that you are accompanying me tonight, and Lucius and Narcissa have spoken in your favor. The Dark Lord is willing to overlook your status as a Gryffindor, as well as your Blood-Status, because he values your magical prowess, and your connection to the Romano family."

She nodded, and allowed Severus to hold her against him for a moment. "I wish you would stick close to me tonight, but Narcissa has already requested I sit beside her."

Severus smiled, pressing his lips to hers before demanding access into her mouth, which Cassia granted readily, and the two lovers tasted one another for a moment before Severus broke the kiss. "Come," he said, shrinking down the mask and hiding it in his robes as they moved to leave his private rooms, and made their way outside, walking towards the gates, their cloaks billowing in the late-summer wind; the Hogwarts gates opened for them, and, as soon as they walked out of the wards, they vanished with a pop.

They reappeared on lavish country grounds, just outside the gates of Malfoy Manor, and Severus squeezed Cassia's hand before he released it. Their steps were in sync as they walked in a commanding manner towards the gates, which they managed to slip through immediately, and walk directly towards the front door. Severus stepped through and motioned Cassia after him, making his way freely through the front hallway and up the stairs, where they ended up in a large, banqueting-like room, where a pale man with serpentine-like features sat at the head of the ebony wood table.

"Ah, Severus, you've finally joined us," said Voldemort warmly, and Severus stepped forward, immediately kneeling before him.

"My lord," he said reverently. "May I humbly present Cassia Serbus, one of the youngest Aurors for the Ministry of Magic, and my dear friend, who wishes to join our cause?"

"Ah, yes, the American, Half-Blood Gryffindor," said the Dark Lord, and motioned for Severus to move out of the way. "Come closer, my dear."

Cassia obeyed immediately, coldness flowing through her veins as she stepped forward, completely expressionless, and knelt before the undead man as Severus had done. "My lord, I ask that you humbly not hold my status as a Gryffindor against me. My first six years of magical education were at Ilvermorny, in America, and I was sorted into Thunderbird House."

"You do not bother with pleasantries, my dear... I like that about you," he said, a low hiss emitting from his lap, and it was then that Cassia caught sight of the thick, green and silver body of a snake in his lap. "Forgive me—allow me to present Nagini, my familiar. She is always with me, especially in meetings like this."

"A pleasure, Nagini," Cassia said, bowing to the snake.

The snake inclined her head, sticking out her tongue and inspecting Cassia for a moment, before she whispered to the Dark Lord, _I like thisss one, Master. Ssshe hasss a rare intelligenccce sssurounding her, rare for a Gryffindor. We ssshould keep her_...

Cassia smiled in the direction of the snake, and replied to her without a moment's hesitation, _I thank you for your kind wordsss_, _Nagini_. _It meansss a great deal to me that you_'_ve asssesssed me in sssuch a way_.

"Severus, you didn't tell me that your dear friend spoke Parseltongue," the Dark Lord said, looking simply enchanted with Cassia, clearly impressed.

"I... Forgive me, my lord," Severus said, falling beside Cassia to his knees once more, "but I had no idea myself."

The Dark Lord waved that away, before turning to look at Cassia with a wide smile. "What else is it that you can do, my dear?" When she hesitated, he reached out and brought her to her feet, so that he could gauge her reaction to things. "Come on now, do not be afraid of me. I simply wish to know about your magic."

"My lord, if I may," Narcissa said softly.

"Yes, Narcissa. Speak," he commanded.

"You are aware of her connection to the Romano family, through her mother, Margot Romano-Serbus?" Narcissa asked.

"I am."

"It was Cassia who took away Giuseppe Romano's ability to walk, after he turned Cruciatus Curse on her, when she refused to marry an ally of his."

"Really?" he asked, stroking Nagini's head in a steady manner before he turned and locked his gaze onto Cassia's. "And how was that done, my dear?"

"The Cruciatus Curse rebounded, my lord," Cassia replied, standing rim-rod straight, and doing her best to remain calm and cold. "He was cursing my hands, mainly, although I could feel the pain all over my entire body. After many attempts at begging him to stop hurting me, I became overwhelmed with anger at the notion that he could be taking away to perform magic with my wand, and something came undone from within me. My magical core acted of its own accord, my lord, and the curse went onto him, wounding him, and took away his ability to walk almost immediately thereafter."

The Dark Lord looked pleased at this declaration. "And I am told that you are an Animagus, and are able to produce a Patronus Charm?"

"I am, my lord. Despite unfortunate circumstances growing up within my family—due to their cruel nature, not at all related to their beliefs—I have come to have some pleasant memories in my life in order to produce the spell."

"Severus mentioned that you can sing as well..."

"Pardon me, my lord," Lucius put in, "but how will a mere singing voice make us able to defeat the side of the light?"

A slow smile encroached on Cassia's lips, which the Dark Lord noticed. "Would you mind if I used it on Wormtail, my lord?" she asked him.

The Dark Lord looked absolutely enthralled at the question, and nodded his head. "By all means, my dear, by all means. Wormtail!" he barked, as much as he could, although his voice still sounded just a bit on the calm side.

Cassia's stomach rolled as the piteous-looking man with long, thinning hair dashed into the room, his rat-like features not lost on her as he knelt before the Dark Lord in a rather simpering manner, making noises that set her teeth on edge. "Whenever you permit me, my lord," Cassia said with a dark smile.

He nodded, waving his hand in an assent. "Granted."

Cassia affixed her gaze onto Wormtail; she had mainly used this singing ability as a joke on close friends of hers but, on the rare occasion that she couldn't take their cruelty anymore, she would also use it on select family members. "Wormtail," Cassia sang aloud then, perfectly on pitch, "I order you to throw yourself down the staircase."

Without hesitation, Wormtail sprang upwards, his eyes glazed over, and dashed to the other side of the long room. He then got to the top of the staircase beyond, throwing himself down it without a second thought. Cassia felt the gazes of everyone at the table around her, and she stood there, cold again; she normally didn't like inflicting pain upon others, but Wormtail was the exception, given all that he had done.

"My, my... It seems as if we have a Siren on our hands, Nagini," the Dark Lord whispered in awe as Wormtail stumbled up the staircase a moment later. "It is almost as if you're a modified version of an Imperious Curse, my dear."

Cassia raised her hand, able to free Wormtail of the curse, and heal any minor injuries he had from the fall before she glared at him, and he scampered from the room. "Which is exactly why Severus deemed I would be beneficial to your cause, my lord. Minister Fudge is a buffoon who wears an idiotic hat who is too big for his britches, and is now in a position that he is not well-equipped for. If you're open to it, I would dearly love to assist the Dark, my lord, in whatever way I can," she said, and knelt before him again.

_Lisssten to her_, _Master_, Nagini whispered, coiling herself around the Dark Lord's neck. _Ssshe ssspeaks the truth_. _Ssshe can help us in more waysss than one_.

The Dark Lord promptly pulled Cassia to her feet, and ran his hands over his knuckles, wishing to see into her mind, but Cassia, prepared for this, showed him the conjured memories that Severus had placed into her mind, which blocked him from seeing her true intentions. "Very well, Cassia. You may join us," he said, and let her go. "Sit with Narcissa, as she claims to be a dear friend of yours."

Cassia moved and joined Narcissa, who joined their hands beneath the table. "I thank you, my lord, for this opportunity."

"I believe it is we who should be thanking you," the Dark Lord replied as Severus moved to sit beside Lucius. "I was also told that you are a Seer. Tell me, Cassia, what is it you see in the immediate future?"

"You will enter young Potter's mind," she replied without hesitation, ready to answer this particular question. "You will make him see and feel what you do. It will slowly but surely break him, my lord, and, in doing so, you will be one step closer to our goal."

The Dark Lord nodded in approval, stroking Nagini's head. "Good, very good. Now, since you are so gifted, I will give you your first assignment in due time."

Cassia bowed her head. "Whatever you wish, my lord," she replied.

. . .

Cassia felt relieved to get out of the robes as soon as she could, and did her best to lay low for the next two days. However, she slipped from Severus's arms the following dawn after nearly forty-eight hours had passed, and returned to Prince Manor to get ready for work. She took a lengthy shower in an attempt to rid herself of the evil which seemed to permeate to her very core, put on her Auror robes, kissed the twins goodbye, and left with Tonks.

"How was it?" Tonks asked upon their arrival at the ministry.

Cassia blinked. "Oh. The meeting, you mean?"

"Yes," Tonks replied, her tone clipped. "Sell your soul yet?"

"No," she said, clandestinely showing off her forearm, and Tonks flushed at the bold—and slightly thoughtless—gesture. "I'm doing this for Dumbledore, and for the Greater Good. I refuse to lose myself in it, Tonks."

At Tonks's nod, they went upstairs to the Auror Office, waving to Kingsley and to Moody, who was back in action following the Barty Crouch Jr. incident two months before. The two older wizards called them over shortly thereafter, exchanging pleasantries, and Cassia was relieved for a semblance of normalcy within the office. She and Tonks headed to their cubicles shortly thereafter, pleased to be lost in a massive stack of paperwork.

"Tonks! Serbus!" she heard later that day, after morning, afternoon, and early evening had passed, and both young witches got to their feet and went to Kingsley and Moody, who had summoned them over.

"Mafalda Hopkirk has sent an expulsion letter to Harry," Kingsley informed them, his tone grave and quite serious.

Tonks made a squeak of surprise, temporarily rendering her face into that of a mouse. "What shall we do, then?"

"The four of us, plus Elphias Doge, have been assigned to collect Harry from Little Whinging as part of the Advance Guard," Moody explained in his typical growling tone.

Cassia shook her head. "But I'm not part of..."

"You are now," Kingsley said, putting his hand onto her shoulder and squeezing it. "Welcome to the Advance Guard, Cassia."

Cassia nodded as they moved, transfiguring their Auror robes into street clothes, although she and Tonks preferred to keep their boots. "Why was he expelled?" she whispered, directing the question at Kingsley, as Doge met them on the way.

"Doge," Moody greeted him, and Doge nodded at the rest of them, content to remain silent, it seemed.

"It appears as though he used the Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle, violating both Underage Magic and the Statute of Secrecy," Kingsley informed her.

"Probably that oaf of a cousin of his," Moody grumbled.

The five of them went towards the Apparition Point within the walls of the ministry, and they all quickly vanished with a pop. They popped into sight in the hallway outside of Harry's bedroom, and Cassia's breath drew in quickly at the sight of all the locks.

"I hadn't realized it was this bad," Tonks whispered, and stepped forward, managing to magically break the doorknob off the door, and beam the light of her wand into Harry's small bedroom, which Cassia and the rest of them did to follow suit.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked, his tone riddled with confusion. He looked slightly surprised at the sight of Kingsley, Tonks, and Doge, but suddenly ran forward at the sight of Cassia and pulled her into his arms, which caused the rest of the guard to stare at them in confusion. "What are you all doing here?" he asked, slightly breathless, as he hopped down from Cassia's arms, slightly flushed.

"Rescuing you, of course," Moody growled.

"A rescue?" he asked as Cassia moved into his bedroom, tossing him a sweater before she spelled all of his belongings into his trunk, which she shrunk, and shoved into his pocket. She then took the liberty of allowing Hedwig out of her cage, which she spelled clean and shrunk down as well, pocketing it herself as the snowy owl climbed up onto her hand.

"Of course a rescue, Harry," Cassia replied, gently pushing him out the door of his bedroom and handing Hedwig over to him, before they all went down the stairs and out the front door. "We wouldn't up and forget you."

Harry's mouth set into a bitter line. "I haven't received a scrap of news all summer, Cassia, so forgive me if I'm less-than inclined to believe that..." He broke off then, shaking his head, as if he didn't want to burden them all with his problems, before setting Hedwig lose into the sky, knowing his familiar would follow him anywhere. "But I don't understand," he went on as they walked across the front yard. "The letter said I'd been expelled..."

"Not to worry, Harry," Tonks assured him as they lined up on the street. "We'll explain everything once we get back to headquarters."

Cassia shot her a look.

"Not _here_, Nymphadora!" Moody hissed.

"_Don_'_t_ call me Nymphadora!" Tonks growled, her hair going red; at the same time, Cassia said firmly, "_Don_'_t _call her Nymphadora!" and Tonks turned as soon as Cassia's words left her mouth, and smiled at her, pleased that Cassia had her back.

In the next moment, all of their brooms came into view, which included Harry's Firebolt—bought for him by Sirius Black at Cassia's suggestion—and Cassia's Air Wave Gold. Harry grinned at the prospect of flying, and turned to look at Cassia with a grin as she mounted her own broom. Cassia returned the grin as all six of them kicked off from the ground and into the dark, mid-summer sky, going over Little Whinging as quickly as they dared.

"I've never seen you fly before," Harry said quietly.

Cassia grinned. "Well, now you have," she said with a shrug.

"Charlie said you were good," he put in.

Cassia shrugged. "I'm certainly capable. But the two of you were Quidditch players. Me? I just like a friendly race."

Harry looked ecstatic at the declaration. "A race?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Charlie and I raced during seventh-year before he asked me to the Halloween Ball," she explained.

Harry looked shocked at this piece of information. "I wasn't aware that the two of you ever went out," he said, looking amazing.

Cassia laughed. "He was my first kiss, too," she said, and Harry promptly colored, and Cassia felt his wave of embarrassment at never having been kissed before, and knew that she shouldn't question him about it. "It wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, to be honest with you. We discovered that we were better as friends, and now the Weasleys are family to me, and to you, which makes us family, too."

Harry looked relieved at the statement. "Thank you," he said.

Cassia grinned. "You're welcome. Now..." She urged her broom forward then, and Tonks seemed to want to get in on the action as they lowered themselves closer to the River Thames, flipping around and angling themselves to get optimum speed, while Kingsley, Moody, and Dodge looked on with expressions of indulgence, annoyance, and indifference at their antics, which could be seen as reckless and childish but, in that moment, Cassia didn't care.

It didn't take long for them to land on that street in Muggle London, and Cassia was relieved that she wasn't stepping into Grimmauld Place alone. Moody used his thick staff, once they'd stepped through the gate, to unlock the hidden house, and Cassia and Tonks smirked at one another when Harry stared, awestruck, at the building. Once they went inside and set their brooms beside the front door, Cassia glared at Moody when he unexpectedly slammed Harry up against a way so as they could all get through to the kitchen; Tonks winked at Harry, and Cassia squeezed his shoulder and unshrunk Hedwig's cage, handing it to him as they walked by.

"We have to act _now_!" Sirius said, slamming his hand upon the dining room table, hesitating slightly then as Cassia walked by, sitting as close to Severus as she dared, before he broke off eye contact with her, and looked down the hallway, spotting Harry.

"Harry!" cried Molly then, and hastily moved to leave the kitchen, shutting the door behind her with a, "Good to see you, dear," coming out of her mouth before the door shut.

"Don't attempt to use your Gryffindor heroics to your advantage here, Black," Severus drawled, looking positively annoyed with the entire situation which had been presented to him. "Don't delude yourself into thinking that that'll win the war."

"I don't care what Albus says—you Death Eaters are all the same. He claims it's for the Greater Good, but he needs to see you for what you truly are," Sirius growled.

"Down, dog," Severus growled.

"Ah, Snivellus, perhaps you could enlighten us on the meetings that take place," Remus put in, his tone bored.

"Yes, do allow us to ponder how they treat you. If he's your supposed Dark Lord, and you respect him so much, why does he use Unforgivables on his minions? It can't just be to keep them in line—he likely gets off on it," Sirius muttered.

"And that is enough!" Cassia said, losing her temper as she, too, slammed her fist onto the table, as Molly returned into the room. "This isn't Hogwarts anymore, and you damned Marauder's shouldn't gang up on him anymore! And his name is _Severus_, thank you very much," she went on, her voice shaking as she shot to her feet. "If Severus is a Death Eater, than so am I. I've been to several meetings over the last few weeks, and Voldemort trusts me beyond measure, because, of course, I had to be the only one of his so-called followers to speak to that fucking snake of his. I feel disgusting at the end of those things, but Albus is right—it is all for the Greater Good. He saw something within Severus and me, something that he believed we could use against Voldemort. We are not filthy Death Eaters—we are spies, and we are weapons. To be a spy takes bravery, a Gryffindor attribute, and Severus holds it in spades. Cunning is a Slytherin attribute, and Albus wouldn't have chosen me for this position if I didn't have it. How dare you sit there and deem yourselves better than everyone else! Yes, Sirius, you were framed for a crime that you didn't commit, and Remus, you were dealt a shitty hand by a goddamned werewolf, but that's no reason to make Severus feel less of a human being! You tried to get him to walk to his own death while you were students, Sirius—_don_'_t_ try to deny it!" she shouted, as Sirius's eyes narrowed and he moved to speak. "The notion that Albus saw all of you committing these disgusting acts on Severus when you were teenagers, clearly old enough to know better, is reprehensible beyond measure, and you should all be ashamed of yourselves, because Severus is the bravest man I've ever known!" she said, and stomped out of there, her voice continuing to shake, as she walked through the inner kitchen and out the back door, slamming it behind her.

Cassia stood in the slowly darkening yard of Grimmauld Place, too angry to attempt to Apparate anywhere, and she certainly wasn't about to go back in there and beg to use the Floo Network. It was an ache which entered her heart then, as she moved off the porch and leaned up against the brick wall of the house, feeling the hot tears dispelling from her eyes as constant waves of emotions flooded through her. She absolutely hated losing her temper like this; however, she had not done so very many times in her life, for fear that she would get beaten. She shut her eyes, recalling her relatives growing up, laughing at her misfortunes, telling her time and time again about the Underage Magic rule, and about how she wasn't permitted to protect herself, and considered, not for the first time, how they would figure out new ways to beat her, and how it had quickly become the family sport, to see who could get her to break first, and how frustrated they all were when they lost their own game...

"Cassia."

Cassia turned around at the voice, spotting Severus standing beside her, and saw him offering her broom to her. "Thanks," she said, taking it, shrinking it down and putting it into her pocket. She scrubbed the tears from her eyes and faced away from him. "Sorry about that. I know we're supposed to be adversaries, but I just couldn't sit there and let them talk about you like that. I just couldn't..."

"You are truly a Gryffindor. Perhaps the Sorting Hat was right after all."

Cassia chuckled darkly. "Guess it just comes from the fact that I was never permitted to lose my temper at home growing up," she replied, kicking a lose cobblestone.

Severus stiffened from beside her. "They beat you for that, too?"

Cassia turned back at stared at him. "There was little they didn't beat me for, Severus. Breathing too loudly, giving a look they perceived to be wrong, or speaking without permission. The list of the ridiculous infractions covers feet upon feet of parchment. Edgar was spared, because Mother loved him and he could do no wrong in her eyes. And then there was Francesco and Alessandro, who were Pure-Bloods, and the apple of Grandfather's eyes. Not only did they bear the Romano name, but they also carried his beliefs very strongly, not to mention his looks. Uncle Leonardo and Aunt Dorothea thought that they were absolutely perfect, and they were treated as such. I mean, even Edgar couldn't compare to them, but he was still treated with kindness. And me? I was seen as little more than a Squib until the age of eleven, and when I finally got my acceptance letter into Ilvermorny, my eyes were nearly too swollen shut to read it."

Severus glared at the image. "Who...?"

"Edgar," she said with a shrug. "Threw a television remote at me because I wanted a turn with 'the damned entertainment box'."

"You had a television?"

Cassia smiled at Severus bitterly. "No-Maj father, remember? Him and the boys would always be home in time to watch the Seahawks games..."

"Seahawks?"

"It's our local football team," she said with a shrug. "Our version of football, rather."

"Did you watch them?"

"Sports?!" Cassia sputtered, shaking her head. "Never. No, I preferred classic period dramas and the like. Although there were some romance shows I enjoyed as well." She leaned back again, her back gracing the side of the house. "Guess I thought I may as well enjoy it in a vicarious sense, because I never thought I'd have something like that..."

Severus reached out then, taking Cassia's hand and stroking her knuckles with the pad of his thumb softly. "Come back with me tonight."

Cassia turned and looked at him, feeling warm for the first time since she had lost it with Sirius and Remus. "Always," she replied, and they moved to Apparate out of there.

"_Him_?!" came the word from behind them before they could go, and Severus dropped Cassia's hand immediately, and Cassia felt her face whiten as they mutually spun around, coming face-to-face with Sirius himself. "He is the father of your children, the one that you desperately claim to love so well, and the one who cannot love you back?!"

"This is no concern of yours, dog," Severus growled.

"Like hell, it isn't!" Sirius shot back. "Before you manipulated Cassia back with her Imperious ways, she found solace—with me!"

"Sirius..." Cassia whispered, feeling herself trembling.

"You did not mention another relationship to me, Cassia," Severus said, his voice deliberately soft. "Only Everest."

"You didn't ask," Cassia shot back at Severus. "How was I supposed to know that you would even want me back after everything?!"

"I cared for you, Cassia—me," Sirius said, thumping a fist to his chest. "Severus will never get over Lily."

Cassia let out a gasp then at the declaration, feeling her eyes filling with tears for the second time that evening at Sirius's words.

"Oh. Oh, dear, Merlin," Sirius said, turning to Severus, rage in his eyes. "Please tell me that Cassia knew that it was Lily..."

"Yes, dog, she knew it quite well, thank you," Severus said, narrowing his eyes at him. "Thank you so very much for reminding her."

"You cannot love her, Severus, because you are incapable of it," Sirius told him, his voice completely steady. "You only loved Lily because she showed you the slightest bit of kindness, and because she would never be yours."

"Black..." Severus warned.

"Merlin help you for destroying Cassia," Sirius said, his eyes blazing. "She's cut off her ability to explore new romantic possibilities, all because of you, Snivellus," he declared. "She won't allow herself to seek something better..."

"And maybe I'm just what she needs," Severus said, taking ahold of Sirius's jacket. "She knows things about me that would make your hair stand on end."

Sirius paled. "She... She knows...?"

"She knows all, Black. She is a Seer."

Sirius's eyes shifted to Cassia. "You're...?"

"Yes," Cassia whispered, her voice cracking. "Yes, Sirius. And I'm sorry—I'm sorry for all I put you through. I didn't ask for any of it. I was upfront from the beginning, I... I suppose I took the comfort you provided in order to forget..."

"The _comfort_?!" Severus demanded then, dropping Sirius and whipping around to face Cassia with a blazing look in his eyes. "What do you mean?!"

Cassia felt the tears suspended on her lashes as they flowed down her face. "What are you asking me, here, Severus?" she whispered.

"Were...you..._intimate_...with this...dog?" Severus growled through his teeth.

Cassia swallowed, brushing the tears out of her eyes and standing up straight, gazing at Severus as coolly as she could. "Yes. I have been."

"Merlin..."

"Don't you dare make me feel guilty for trying to move on from you!" Cassia burst out then, jabbing a finger in his direction. "You've no right to make me feel guilty for wanting to be held and comforted and... Loved," she whispered the word, her voice trembling. "I've not known much love in my life, but I felt something akin to it with Sirius, and I know that angers you, Severus, but can you imagine how I felt, when you called me Lily?"

"You did _what_?!" Sirius raged, grabbing ahold of Severus and slamming him up against the side of Grimmauld Place. "So help me, Snivellus..."

"Sirius! Let him go!" Cassia screamed, tears pouring out of her eyes again.

Sirius turned around then, catching a glimpse of the look of horror and devastation that Cassia was giving him, and promptly released the potions master. "You're not worth it," he growled as he turned back to look at him.

Severus sneered at Sirius then, before turning back to Cassia. "Neither are you," he declared then, his tone meant to hurt.

Cassia reached into her pocket then, whispering a quick, "Finite," and her broom turned to its normal size. She mounted it then, kicking off from the ground as quickly as she dared, and zoomed into the night sky. It was difficult to make out things in front of her, because she was partially blinded by tears, but it didn't matter one bit to Cassia, for she felt as if a part of her had been successfully cut out, and left her bleeding, as she flew through the night towards West Sussex, and home.

. . .

Harry's disciplinary hearing with the Ministry of Magic, in the wake of him using the Patronus Charm in defense of his ham-fisted cousin, Dudley, was scheduled for the twelfth. As an Auror, Cassia was permitted to be in attendance; however, she was not to speak in Harry's defense, nor was she to speak to him in any way. She'd told him of this beforehand, and so Harry wasn't at a loss when she pretty much just watched the proceedings and said nothing to him.

Voldemort had gotten wind of Cassia's intended presence as well, and deemed this to be the perfect first assignment for her to prove herself to him. At Albus's urging, Cassia quickly agreed to it, although Severus looked as if he was chewing lemons throughout the conversation. Cassia ignored his mutterings and sat in the courtroom with the Wizengamot, knowing that she had a dual part to play, and was not about to fuck it up.

Once it was deemed by Fudge—with the vast majority of Wizengamot, most notably Amelia Bones, an acquaintance of Cassia's, whom she liked very much, voting in favor of clearing of all charges—Harry was let go. Cassia felt her stomach coiling at the sight of Dolores Umbridge looking angry, but she only held the anger in her eyes as Harry walked free. As Cassia got to her feet to leave, nodding to Amelia on her way, she couldn't help but shake the knowledge that this would not be the last she saw of Umbridge, and such a though filled her with trepidation. She didn't fear much, but she did admit the quelling of something within her at the sight of the toad-like woman who had a particular affinity for the color pink.

"Ah, Cassia," the Dark Lord said when had arrived, and bowed before him, respectfully kissing the hems of his robes. "Come, come," he said, guiding her upwards, and smiling in an indulgent manner when Nagini lifted her head for a pat. "Come now, Nagini. Let our guest sit down and give us her report."

_Yesss_, _Master_, the snake replied.

_I appreciate being greeted anyhow_, Cassia informed the snake, who bowed her head in acknowledgement, before she moved to sit beside Narcissa. Cassia's transfiguration skills were constantly put to the test now, for she would continuously had to change her Auror robes into the black outfits, appropriate for Death Eater meetings. Now that she minded flexing her magic; she sat rim-rod straight in the chair at the table, looking impassively around the room. She didn't get much sun these days, and her cheeks no longer boasted that flush she was prone to when the weather decided to warm up. This, unfortunately, made her look beaten down by life, and she appeared as if she was a good decade older, not that it mattered.

"So, tell us, Cassia," the Dark Lord said, leaning forward slightly, which forced Nagini to move and curl herself around the high-backed chair he sat in. "How did Potter's disciplinary hearing go this afternoon?"

Cassia gave a nod of acknowledgement, clasping her hands on the ebony table. "The brat used sympathy in order to get Amelia Bones and the majority of the Wizengamot on his side," she said in a stoic manner. "He is a very good actor, you have to give him that. Of course, Albus's testimony helped him, yet again."

"Ah, I see," he said, likely disappointed that the headmaster had come to his aid. "And what did the esteemed Headmaster of Hogwarts have to say?"

"He informed Fudge of your return, my lord, which Fudge, in all of his latent wisdom, refused to believe, of course," she went on. "Even imploring the wizard to see reason did no good, and Fudge hissed at him in the courtroom." Cassia shrugged her shoulders. "He is ignoring Potter, however, which shocked me."

"Fudge is ignoring Potter?" the Dark Lord asked. "I do not understand..."

"Forgive me, my lord—I meant that the headmaster is ignoring Potter," Cassia amended. "He wished to speak to him—likely to thank him for putting his neck out for him—but the headmaster left before Potter could get much of a word in. Perhaps he believes he is distancing himself for a reason. I am sure that Severus and I would be able to glean the true reason for this in due time, if you wish it."

"Yes, yes, that would be beneficial indeed," Voldemort replied, nodding. He gazed at Cassia again, and what resembled a smile came onto his lips. "Well, it seems, that Severus's assumptions about you being a worthy addition to our ranks proved correct."

"I have yet to encounter a time when Severus is mistaken by something, my lord, although I am sure you would know better than I, as you've known him longer than I have."

The Dark Lord nodded, obviously pleased at the compliment. "Well, I see nothing wrong with announcing my intentions."

"Yes, my lord?" Cassia asked.

"From now, henceforth, you are permitted to use the title of Death Eater," he declared. "You shall be added to the wards of both Malfoy and Riddle Manor, which are our two main stomping grounds for meetings and the like. I don't expect you to get marked, my dear, for I can see that your devotion is strong, and you will serve me well regardless."

Cassia bowed her head. "I shall, my lord," she said, before rising to her feet and kneeling before him, taking his offered hand, and feeling a rush of coldness surging through her, likely linking the two of them in some way, and, just in case, conjured up the walls of false memories that Severus had put into her mind. "I shall be loyal and obedient in my servitude, my lord. Thank you for trusting in me."

"I do, my dear," he replied, lifting her back up onto her feet and smiling at her. "And now, dear Cassia, there is work to be done."


	13. The Darkest Hour is Just Before the Dawn

"Morning, Cassia," Everest said nonchalantly as Cassia arrived at the Auror Office.

Cassia smiled and gave Everest a nod; she'd come in alone that day, for it was Tonks's day to be out in the field, and it was going to be a quiet day around the office, she thought. "Morning, Everest," she said at last, making her way to her cubicle. "How are things?"

Everest followed Cassia to her cubicle and she noticed then that he had an almost uncomfortable expression on his face. "I... I've got news."

"Do you?" Cassia asked, unclipping her robes and hanging them on the back of her chair with a slight flourish. "What's going on?" she wanted to know, setting her bag upon her desk and peering over her shoulder at him.

"I wanted to let you know that I've begun seeing someone, and it's getting serious, and I didn't want you hearing about it from anyone else."

Cassia shrugged and smiled at him. "Why would I hear it from someone else?"

"Well, she's in the public eye," Everest hedged. "Also, I thought it would be better if, ultimately, it came from me."

Cassia kept smiling at him. "Well, I appreciate your consideration, Everest. That's awfully nice of you," she told him. "Now, who is she?"

"Gwenog Jones," Everest replied, flushing slightly.

"Beater for the Holyhead Harpies?" Cassia asked, clearly impressed. "Wow. That's amazing, Everest. You seem really happy, and so I'm happy for you."

"Really?" Everest asked, relieved. "You're not... Upset or anything?"

Cassia shook her head at him. "No, of course not. I haven't met Gwenog myself, but I've heard good things. I'm sure the two of you are very happy together."

"And you?" Everest asked after a moment.

"What about me?"

"How's your love life coming along?"

Cassia laughed aloud, although it pained her slightly to do so. "It's pretty non-existent now, to be honest with you," she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Now that Hogwarts is setting back up again for the year, hopefully people will stay out of trouble..."

Everest's lip curled. "You mean Potter and Dumbledore?"

Cassia turned back and looked Everest over, surprised by the contempt in his tone. "Well, yes. It was quite a shock what happened last June, as I'm sure we can all agree."

"Meaning that Cedric Diggory died," Everest said with a nod. "Yes. Tragic."

Cassia turned to Everest fully then and crossed her arms. "And that Voldemort returned," she told him in a fearless manner.

"_Don_'_t_ say his name," Everest shot back.

Cassia blinked. "Don't fear the name, Everest. That's what gives him power over us." She hesitated for a moment. "Why the change in subject?"

"Because of what _The Profit_'_s_ been saying all summer," Everest replied. "How can you simply believe Dumbledore and Potter?"

Cassia felt her eyes blazing then. "How can you not? Potter saw him return, and kill Cedric Diggory in that graveyard that summer. Dumbledore supports him; why can you not?"

"Because it's obvious that the headmaster is hiding something, and is likely using the boy as a poster child for the Greater Good."

"Harry would've said something if he didn't enjoy his position," Cassia told him through gritted teeth.

"Oh. So now it's 'Harry' now?"

Cassia felt her eyes narrowing. "I'd be very careful about what you're insinuating right now, Everest," she said, her tone deliberately slowing down.

"Well, am I wrong?" he asked.

"Dead wrong," Cassia told him. "Harry Potter, along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, are close friends of mine. We have similar political leanings, and both Harry and Ron have expressed desires in being Aurors upon graduation. I would never seek to bring harm to a child, Everest, and if you really believe the opposite, then you obviously don't know the kind of person I really am at all."

"I obviously don't know at the moment, Cassia, considering you believe the lie factory that Hogwarts is becoming, and are siding with Dumbledore and Potter about this complex issue regarding You-Know-Who!"

_"He's back!" Cassia screamed at him. "How can you not believe it?"_

_"How can you believe the word of a fourteen-year-old boy?!"_

_"__Fifteen__," Cassia told him, feeling her nails biting at the flesh on her palms. "Harry is fifteen-years-old now, Everest."_

_Everest rolled his eyes, ignoring her. "There's no way he's back, and that boy is untrustworthy. Fudge says so."_

_"Fudge is __wrong__! I __know__ him. He wouldn't lie about this. He's the one who killed his parents and saw that other boy get killed, right in front of his eyes! Why would he lie about something so abhorrent as murder?"_

_"He is a child, Cassia," came Everest's cold reply. "Why can't you see that?"_

_"Why can't you see that even children can tell the truth?"_

_"Not Potter," Everest told her, retreating from her cubicle. "All of this is riddled with suspicion, Cassia. It would be best if you sided with the minister on this."_

_"I will not side with a man spewing falsehoods, Everest," Cassia said steadfastly._

_"Then, perhaps, the Auror Office isn't for you," Everest said, before turning around and walking away from her._

_Cassia replayed Everest's words over and over again as she arrived at headquarters that night. It was early, as she couldn't stand to work in the same office with Everest for another minute. She walked down the street of Muggle London and let herself into the gate, before tapping on the appropriate cobblestone and willing the house into view. Stepping forward, she let herself in, giving Kreacher a glare so that he would stay silent, and let herself into the living room, throwing herself down onto the ancient couch, and putting her head into her hands._

_"Well, that was quite an entrance."_

_Cassia looked up from her hands then, spotting Sirius in the doorway. "Hey, Sirius," she said, and watched as he crossed the room and sat beside her. "I'm sorry for being early. I know we're not due to meet until later on, but I just had to get out of there..."_

_Sirius mulled over Cassia's words. "I take it you've been keeping up with __The Profit__?"_

_Cassia nodded. "It's inescapable, especially now," she muttered, crossing her arms. "Everest came over to me today and tried to get me on Fudge's side."_

_"What did you tell him?"_

_"Simply that I knew the truth, and he refused to believe it."_

_Sirius shook his head. "Fudge will lose his position if he continues like this."_

_Cassia scoffed. "You're telling me. It's disgusting, the lies he's telling high-ranking people, and they're just soaking it up like goddamned sponges. Everest even had the nerve to tell me, because I disagreed with him, that the Auror Department wasn't for me."_

_"That's madness!" Sirius shouted, and Cassia turned to look at him. "Everyone knows you're one of the best Aurors they have, Cassia! You're brave, and stubborn, and not to mention knowledgeable about the law, to the point where it's scary sometimes. You have a flair for getting political, and you constantly know where to stand. You're not fickle in your ways, you're constant, and the office would benefit from more people like you."_

_Cassia sighed. "Just wish it was that simple. Everest had the gall to say that I was too close to Harry, and all that that entails."_

_Sirius sat there, stone-faced. "I mean no disrespect, Cassia, but I'd risk everything by using all three Unforgivables on you if that were true, and I know it's not."_

_Cassia chuckled slightly then, tracing the scars on her hands and arms. "Yeah, and I know that, Sirius. If the roles were reversed, so would I."_

_"But it's disgusting that Everest would say such things to you," Sirius went on. "You're an amazing Auror, and he has no right saying things like that."_

_Cassia blinked, straightening up from where she was lying back against the couch. "Wow, Sirius, thank you. I didn't know you felt that way about my job."_

_Sirius sighed. "Not just about your job, Cassia. About you, too. Sure, it broke my heart to see you falling back under Snape's spell, but, like you, I couldn't turn off my feelings either. I really do like you, and I was falling for you. I know this is probably not what you want to hear right now, especially when things are so up in the air, but I just want you to know, whatever you need, I'm here for you, if it's just as a friend and ally, or something greater than that..."_

_Cassia leaned in then, clutching at Sirius's hand before she leaned in and kissed him. "Thank you," she said, flushing as she pulled back and away from him. "That means a lot to me... But I don't think I need another friend and ally right now..."_

_Sirius sighed. "You're right," he said, and moved to leave._

_"Wait," she said, catching at his hand again. "No, no, no. That's not what I meant. I meant that I wanted to try again. I know I don't deserve to accept you, especially how things ended the last time we tried doing this, but there was something there, Sirius. I'm flattered that you asked me again, although I'm surprised you didn't run for the hills when I..."_

_Sirius cut Cassia off by kissing her, and then he rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, about everything I said. I was shocked and angry, mostly at Snape. It just seemed as if he took advantage of you, given when your feelings for him started..."_

_"I can assure you, that didn't happen," Cassia said firmly, weaving her hands into Sirius's. "But I appreciate the concern, I really do."_

_Sirius smiled slowly at Cassia then. "I'm sure it didn't. You're stronger than you look, Cassia, and I know that, if you didn't want something to happen, and you had the power to prevent it, it simply wouldn't happen."_

_"Damn straight," Cassia said. She hesitated for a moment before leaning in and kissing Sirius again, her heart skipping a beat as he wrapped his arms around her and held her against him. "I don't know if I can be all you want..."_

_"You're all I want, when you're yourself," Sirius whispered to her. "Don't put on any false pretenses, Cassia. I know who you are, and I like who you are. Even though that assignment that Albus gave you scares the hell out of me, I respect that it was your decision to take it. Just, please, be careful. That's all I ask."_

_"Well, not that I wasn't before, but now it seems I have another reason to be careful," Cassia whispered, basking in the glow of Sirius's loving gaze upon her. "I will be careful, Sirius. And, no matter what, I'll always be honest with you. I don't want to hurt you again..."_

_Sirius shook his head, leaning in and kissing Cassia again. "I know you won't. I can feel it. I just know that you were brought here, to England, for a reason. Maybe that reason was to find me, and to put an end to my bachelorhood."_

_Cassia smiled up at him. "Yeah," she allowed. "Maybe it was."_

_. . ._

Cassia sat in Albus's office at Hogwarts, waiting for him to join her for their scheduled tea. She was permitted to use his Floo when she was expected, or had urgent ministry business, so she had no trouble getting there. She perched on one of his guests' chairs, upon finding the office empty, and thanked the house-elf who arrived with a tea tray, complete with pot, two cups with saucers, cream, a sugar bowl, accompanying spoons, and a plate of digestive biscuits.

Cassia spelled the teapot into the air and poured herself a cup of tea; it was black, her favorite, and she transfigured the milk into lactose-free milk before reverting it back to its original form. It only took a moment to add three spoonful's of sugar to her cup, before levitating it towards her and sipping from it slowly. It didn't surprise her when the door to the headmaster's office swung open from behind her, but the voice that filtered into her ears did.

"I was expecting Albus."

Cassia quickly moved her teacup back onto the tray, not wanting it to shatter, before she got to her feet, looking at Severus squarely in the eye. "As was I. We were due for tea."

"Hmmm," Severus allowed, sweeping past her and moving to the chair beside her. "As were we, but, it seems as if he has been called away."

"Do you know where?"

"No," Severus replied, helping himself to some tea before sitting in the chair. "But the purpose of the meeting was to discuss Potter."

Cassia slowly sank back into the chair she had been occupying, before re-summoning her cup back into her hands. "Is Harry all right?"

"It seems as though he believes that Dolores Umbridge is incompetent in her position and, as such, seems to be organizing the students in defense."

Cassia smiled to herself, lowering her eyes into her tea, which was still steaming. "Well, it's about damn time," she said softly, and brought it towards her lips.

Severus sneered. "It's a miracle that he's managed to organize them at all, considering he is just as lazy and arrogant as his father was."

"That's a lie, and you know it," Cassia said, her teacup shaking slightly.

Severus let the comment slide, summoning a spoon with some sugar on it and stirring into his tea; he did not take milk, and only took one sugar. "Potter has been serving quite a few detentions this term."

Cassia rolled her eyes, leaning back into her chair as she sipped her tea. "That's hardly anything unusual. Have you been making him scrub cauldrons again?"

Severus's lips thinned then as he banished the spoon back onto the tray. "I didn't say that it was I giving the detentions," he replied, bringing his cup towards his lips.

"You didn't have to," Cassia responded, her tone clipped. "You've had it out for him since he started his education here. Don't deny it."

"I may not be overtly fond of the boy, Cassia, but I would never create falsehoods to force him into a detention."

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Of course not. And permitting your snakes to tamper with his potions is all Harry's fault, isn't it?"

Severus gripped the cup in his hands, and it was a wonder that it did not shatter. "I would be very careful with what you're saying, Cassia."

"Careful?" Cassia scoffed. "Why should I be? I am not under your control, Severus. I am no longer your student, or your girlfriend. All that we have between us is the twins. You've no just cause to order me about."

Severus's eyes moved over to Cassia then, and they blazed beneath her hot gaze. "You wouldn't be so confident if you didn't have a man in your life."

"Whether or not I have a man in my life is, quite frankly, none of your business."

"It is if it concerns my children."

"Your children?!" Cassia spat. "Don't make me laugh. You _never_ see them. Apart from birthday and Christmas presents, you ignore them."

"That was our agreement, for their own safety, if you remember," Severus said, his eyes never leaving Cassia's.

"No, Severus," Cassia said, shaking her head. "That was your idea, and I only agreed to it because you agreed for them to have your name in private, and you wouldn't ignore them on the days where it counted. They're four now, Severus, _four_. Do you know what they ask me? They ask me constantly where you are, and who you are. Can you take a moment and attempt to understand how difficult this is for me? The older they get, the more and more they develop, the more I see you in both of them. Circe looks just like you, and Sebastian's personality matches yours perfectly. They want to know you, Severus, and you claim that it's too dangerous, but I think it runs deeper than that. I think, perhaps, you don't want them to get attached, for some reason," she said, reaching out and taking ahold of his wrist. "Why is that, I wonder? I haven't been able to see anything..."

Severus yanked his hand away. "Go and blather to your boyfriend about this."

Cassia sighed, pulling her hand back and replacing her teacup on the tea tray. "Sirius knows all about this, Severus, as you well know."

Severus looked as if a lorry had hit him. "You mean to tell me that you've actually returned to that... To that _dog_?!" he demanded.

Cassia's eyes narrowed. "I won't have you describing Sirius like that. He is a good man, Severus, and I wish you would let this petty rivalry die."

Severus sputters. "He's entirely wrong for you, Cassia!"

"And what would you know about that, Severus?" she asked. "Tell me."

"You don't love him, for one thing..."

"We care about each other, Severus. He makes me happy. He doesn't have anyone to compare me to, which is a god-send. Merlin, I'm the only person he's ever felt this way about. It certainly makes things easier, in the long-run."

"So, that's it, then? It's because he has the capability of loving you?"

"Loving you was not enough, Severus, because it was all one-sided!" Cassia cried out then, shooting to her feet, and Severus quickly followed suit. "I don't know if that feeling will ever go away. But, what I do know is, it was physically painful to be with you, knowing that I was not enough. I'm not Lily; I know I'm not Lily, but I'm so goddamn worthy of love that it hurts. It hurt me that, for years, my family attempted to convince me that I was unworthy—unworthy of magic, of affection, of compassion, of...of love," she said, her voice breaking. "They tried to beat all feeling out of me, Severus, in the hopes that, perhaps, I could become as cold and unfeeling as they were, or just submissive, so I would believe in their teachings. And, sometimes, I think that it worked," she told him. "I'm not as close to the twins as I want to be, and Perry spends more time with them than I do. I love them, more than anything, but I'm afraid to get close to them, because I do not want to become my mother. I don't want to pick favorites, or push them away when they do something wrong. Almost everyone in my life has hurt me, Severus, and you're among those people who have. I gave you my heart, because I saw in you something so akin to how I was brought up, that I thought we were perfect for one another, because we could understand what the other had gone through in a way that nobody else could. I gave you my heart, but you didn't want it; instead, you strung me along in a manner so callus and cruel that I can never forgive you. You made me feel as if I was enough, and that you could bear some kind of feelings for me, but it was all a lie. But that's what you do best, isn't it, Severus? Lie. Merlin, I should know as much as you do, considering that that's the business I'm in as well. The business of lying, of spying, of cutting our emotions out of our hearts for several hours at a time, in order to achieve what's best for the Greater Good, so that the future generations of the Wizarding World actually have a world to be in. I'm so tired of living like this, Severus," she whispered to him, the tears suspending themselves upon her lashes. "So tired of pretending to be something I'm not... I only accepted this assignment from Albus because I trusted him, and because I wanted to make sure that you were safe. You're just as powerful as I am, Severus—granted, in a different way—and I know you're perfectly capable of keeping yourself safe, but I just had to be sure, because I'm in love with you. And it hurts me to still admit that, Severus, because I've moved on, and I know you'll never love me back, but I just had to get all this off my chest because you didn't let me get a word in last time we spoke..."

Severus crossed the room towards her then, his eyes filled with sadness, and tilted Cassia's chin up with one hand, while his free hand wrapped her around her waist, molding her against him and not letting her go. He leaned down and kissed her passionately, more so than he had ever done in his life, and Cassia's arms automatically wrapped around him, holding him against her, as the tears flowed down her face, and she shuddered against him, opening up to him, and allowed him to taste her as she sobbed in his arms.

"No," she moaned then, and pushed him away from her. "No, Severus..."

"Why?" he whispered.

"Because it's not fair!" she yelled. "It's not fair—none of this is. We live in an imperfect world, Severus, one where we can't be ourselves, one where you can't love me, and one where I won't allow myself to be with you."

Severus blinked. "So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying 'stop'," Cassia whispered to him. "I'm saying that I don't want this anymore. I'm saying that, in Sirius Black, I've found someone that will care about me. I might even fall in love with him, given that he's already halfway there with me. I deserve that. No matter what I am, and what I've done, I deserve that—to be loved. And I want it, Severus—I want it more than I can breathe. I want someone to love me, and to not hold me at a distance until it's too late, and then make their play for me. I'm sorry, Severus, but if I wasn't what you wanted then, then I'm certainly not what you want now. I'm done." She turned around then and grabbed some Floo Powder before tossing it into the flames, which turned green and swallowed her up, leaving a bereft Severus alone in the office of Albus Dumbledore.

. . .

"How was the Death Eater meeting tonight?" Sirius asked.

Cassia sighed, transfiguring her robes back into her Auror ones, before she collapsed into Sirius's awaiting arms. "Old Snake Head just keeps getting more and more demented," she whispered to her. "I don't know how much more of this I can take..."

"I hate that he likes using you like this," Sirius told her, tightening his grip on her. "Every which way we turn, you've got another gift that he can exploit..."

"It makes me sick that I have to pretend to be loyal to him," she said quietly. "I just feel like a shadow of myself during those meetings." She shivered, looking out the window of the living room at Grimmauld Place, where snow was silently falling. "Why he had to call us so close to Christmas, I'll never know..."

"Harry and his friends are due here this year," Sirius said quietly, pressing gentle a kiss to Cassia's forehead. "Would you join us? The twins, too."

Cassia smiled, pulling back so that she could look up at Sirius. "You know we'd love to. I also want the twins to spend more time with you. I..." She hesitated for a moment. "I never thanked for forgiving me, when I lost my head last October, when I saw Severus. He just came at me and I lost control for a moment..."

Sirius leaned down then, pressing his lips to Cassia's, and she immediately responded to the kiss by wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "I know the whole thing wasn't intentional," he said quietly, once he'd released her lips. "You have no control over his actions, just yours. And I am so glad you didn't..."

"I chose you," Cassia said firmly to him, knowing in her heart that she had made the right decision, for herself, and for everyone. "I'm going to keep choosing you, Sirius. You're good for me, and made me feel safe. I've never felt so safe before in my life, and I could give a fuck if the ministry is after you, because I'm going to do everything I can to get your name cleared. Maybe if I can corner Wormtail and get his wand away, then I can..."

"No, no," Sirius said, his voice firm as he clutched at Cassia's face then, gently wiping away the trails of her tears with the pads of both thumbs. "I won't have you risking your life for me, Cassia, ever. I care about you too much for that."

Cassia felt a sob catching in her throat then. "I can't help it, Sirius. I can't have you taken away from me. I've lost too many people in my life and I can't...I won't..."

Sirius silenced her with an earth-shattering kiss, forcing her lips open; it wasn't even a combative gesture, and Cassia yielded to him immediately. He pressed her up against the wall of the living room, holding her close to him, and she wrapped her legs around his torso, holding him against her, almost afraid to let him go. Sirius's hand gently clutched at her cheek, his fingertips gently touching her neck, and Cassia angled her face so as he could get better access into her mouth, and clutched at his shirt, holding him close, her heart pounding in her ears. It didn't take much effort to unbutton the buttons on his shirt, and, if it weren't for the Patronus that entered the living room at Grimmauld Place, Sirius would have taken Cassia right up against the wall, for all of his self-control was gone.

Cassia let herself down, and Sirius moved to stand beside her as she stared at the phoenix Patronus before her, knowing who it belong to. "Speak," she commanded the bird, trying to hold herself steadily.

The phoenix trilled for a moment before it spoke, Albus's voice filling the living room. "Arthur Weasley has been attacked by Nagini, whilst guarding the Department of Mysteries," he intoned, and Cassia let out a gasp, clutching at Sirius's arm. "This information was brought to me by Harry himself, who had a dream of the incident. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George will be traveling by portkey to St. Mungo's immediately," he said, before the phoenix bowed and flew out the window, and into the snow.

"No," Cassia whispered, her knees buckling, and Sirius immediately reached out to support her, and wrapped her in his arms. "I... I have to..."

"Go," Sirius told her, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Let me know how he is."

Cassia nodded, her heart in her throat as she stumbled towards the Floo, and tossed in some powder, telling the network she needed to get to St. Mungo's. The flames promptly swallowed her up, and she stepped out into the lobby of St. Mungo's, relieved that she still wore her Auror robes as she approached the desk. "Arthur Weasley's room," she said, and narrowed her eyes at the receptionist.

The woman let out a squeak, obviously taking in the importance of the Auror robes, and nodded her head. "Upstairs, first floor. The Dangerous Dai Llewellyn Ward for Serious Bites," she said quickly.

"Merlin," Cassia whispered, dragging her hands through her hair as she rushed towards the lifts, located just down the corridor from the lobby. She pressed the 'up' button frantically, and let out a sigh of relief when the doors dinged open. Stepping inside, Cassia pressed the first floor button and waited with baited breath for the doors to shut, and the tell-tale lurch of the box informed her that she was on her way. The doors opened shortly thereafter, and Cassia stepped out, seeing a gaggle of Weasleys—plus Harry—gathered in the waiting area as she approached. Her voice was trembling as she moved to speak, but she found that she, too was shaking. "Mum?" she whispered then, the word slightly foreign on her tongue, and Molly looked up at her.

Molly registered slight confusion at the name before she saw who it was, and promptly flew to her feet and yanked Cassia into her arms. "Dear, I didn't know you'd be coming..."

"You're my family," Cassia said firmly. "Of course I'm here," she told her, pulling back, still in Molly's arms. "Is... Is Dad all right?"

"He'll be all right," Ron said, getting to his feet before ambling over, and yanking Cassia into his arms in a similar fashion. "Thanks for coming, sis."

"Always," Cassia whispered. She squeezed him one more time before greeting Ginny, the twins, and Charlie and Bill, who had made it. "Where's...?"

"Ministry business," Charlie growled, keeping an arm wrapped around Cassia's shoulders. "As Fudge's right-hand, it would be imperative that he remain there."

"You have got to be kidding me," Cassia said, shaking her head as she looked over at Harry, who was sitting in the corner, green eyes looking at everything and seeing nothing. "Harry?" she asked, squeezing Charlie's hand before she ducked out from underneath his arm, and crouched before the fifth-year Hogwarts student. "Harry...?"

Harry's eyes seemed to focus in the next moment, before he pitched himself off from the chair he sat in, and threw himself into Cassia's arms. "I... I'm so sorry," he blubbered, shaking, almost as if he thought...

Cassia's mind clicked then, and slowly lifted him up. "Harry... Why don't we go for a walk, all right?" he asked him, before turning to Molly. "Mum, is...is that...?"

Molly nodded. "Yes, of course, dear. Arthur shouldn't be awake for a time, anyhow. Go and take Harry, then."

Cassia brought Harry to the lifts again, and pressed the fifth floor button, once they were inside the thing, knowing that a cup of tea would, at the very least, calm the trembling boy in her arms some. "It's all right, Harry," she assured him as they were lurched upwards. "I'm right here. I'm not going to leave until you're all right. I promise."

Harry nodded, sniffling slightly as the doors dinged open a moment later. He remained silent as Cassia led them into the tearoom, and ordered a pot of black tea, plus some biscuits. She brought the tray over to the table once it was ready, and poured a cup for Harry, who sat in the chair across from her, unblinking. Cassia pushed the cup towards him, and Harry reached out, clutching the thing as if it was a lifeline, and Cassia knew it would warm up his hands, at the very least.

"We don't have to talk if you don't want to," she said softly, a small smile on her lips. "I just thought that some quiet would help."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

Cassia nodded to him, and turned and looked outside. There was plenty of snow covering the ground now, and knew full well that the Floo Network was made for times like this, given that no one in their right mind would want to be out there in this weather. Of course, given that they were in a wizarding hospital, perhaps...

"How are Sebastian and Circe?"

Cassia turned back to Harry and gave that same small smile. "They are well, thank you," she said, stirring some sugar into her cup. "Four-years-old now, and doing exceptionally well in reception school."

"They're magical, right?"

"Oh, exceptionally so," Cassia reported with a nod. "I take them flying on my broomstick when the weather is nicer. Circe, bless her, knows how to fly on her own, without the aid of it. It's perfectly amazing to me..."

Harry blinked. "Circe can fly?"

"It is an inherited trait, not easily learned, but yes. Her father could fly."

Harry lowered his eyes, staring into his tea. "Do they ever have dreams?" he whispered, so much so that Cassia had to lean forward slightly to hear him. "Bad dreams?"

Cassia swallowed. "Nightmares, you mean?"

Harry sighed. "Yes."

"Yes, of course. They're children, and especially young children are ruled by irrational fears. I think, however, that magical children don't have such fears—at least, not on the level that Muggle children do—as many of them see and hear things that Muggle children can, literally, only dream about."

"Dumbledore..." Harry gripped his cup more tightly then. "He told you that I had a dream about Mr. Weasley's attack?"

Cassia nodded, wanting desperately to reach out to Harry, but also knowing that that could prevent him from speaking, which he obviously wanted to do. "Yes, Harry. He sent a Patronus to me and told me." She would leave out the part of the Patronus literally flying in on her and Sirius, as Harry didn't know about their relationship.

Harry gritted his teeth. "It wasn't a dream, Cassia. It was a vision."

Cassia forced the gasp to remain dormant in her throat; the son of a bitch of a snake that she had been made to follow had actually taken her advice on Harry, and it made her sick. "A vision? I am afraid I don't understand," she said softly.

"You-Know-Who puts images into my mind," he said quietly, "and controls when it happens, so sometimes I can see what he's doing, and, other times, I can't."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Constantly, since the graveyard. I've had nightmares about it since summer," he said, his shoulders hunching slightly.

Cassia shook her head. "I am so sorry, Harry."

"Thanks." Harry hesitated for a moment. "Tonight, I had the vision about Mr. Weasley, of Nagini attacking him... I've been told that my quick thinking, about reporting it to Ron and McGonagall, and then to Dumbledore, may have saved his life..."

"You _did_, Harry," Cassia assured him, reaching out and taking his hand. "Of course you saved his life, because you're good..."

"No!" Harry yelled, ripping his hand from Cassia's, and leaping to his feet, digging his hands into his hair. "No, I'm _not_ good..."

"Harry?" Cassia said, bolting to her feet, and watching as Harry rested his forehead onto a wall close by their table. "Harry, hey. Talk to me," she said softly, putting a light hand onto his shoulder, wanting to do more for him, but fearful of what he would do.

"I'm not good," Harry stated again.

"All right," Cassia said, deciding on a different tactic, as her denial clearly wasn't working this time around. "Why do you think you're not good?"

Harry lifted his head from the wall then, his green eyes filled with pain, and tears streaking down his face. "I'm not good, because in the vision, I wasn't just watching."

Cassia felt her mouth drop open then, and prevented herself from shuddering. "Harry, what are you telling me?" she whispered to him.

"I was the snake," Harry told her, waiting for rejection.

Cassia shook her head then, and gently pulled him into her arms. "Listen to me, Harry—don't ever tell yourself that you're bad," she whispered to him fervently. "You're not bad, do you hear me? You're not bad. The Dursleys are bad; You-Know-Who is bad; a great many people are bad, Harry. But you," she said, releasing him slightly to look into his face, "you are not, and you will never be, bad. And do you know why? You're capable of love; not everyone is capable of such a thing, and those who are not, they are truly the evil ones."

Harry sighed, leaning his head on Cassia's shoulder. "Thank you."

Cassia smiled, keeping her arms around him. "Anytime."

Harry hesitated for a moment. "I kissed Cho Chang before we left for the hols," he said softly to her, and Cassia laughed aloud.

"Did you now?" she asked, thinking it was wonderful that Harry had calmed down enough to talk about this, and pulled back again so that she could see his face. "How was it?"

Harry scrunched up his nose. "Wet," he replied.

. . .

Cassia moved to let Severus inside of the manor; he was covered a bit in snow, and she gathered Amara close to her chest as she shut the door behind her. Tonks was at her parents for the evening to greet the New Year, while the twins and Perry were sleeping in the nursery and her kitchen cupboard respectively. As Cassia followed Severus into the living room, still holding tightly onto Amara, she watched as she stood before the fire for a moment before finally turning around to look at her.

"State your purpose," she said, her tone level.

Severus gave a brief nod. "I've come to tell you that you need to leave."

Cassia blinked. "Leave? You're no longer permitting me to live here?"

Severus sighed. "I would never force you out, Cassia; the manor is yours," he told her firmly, and looked slightly taken aback at Amara's defensive stance. "However, I think for both your safety, and that of the twins, that you should leave England."

"And you know I can't do that," Cassia countered. She permitted Amara to slip from her arms, and her familiar hissed at Severus before leaving the room and dashing up the staircase. "I've got my position at the ministry to think about, plus our little spy game with the Red-Eyed Freak. I couldn't leave, Severus, even if I wanted to, which I don't."

"Didn't hear you mention Sirius in there," Severus muttered. "It over already?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Cassia replied. "The twins and I spent Christmas at Grimmauld Place. It was lovely. Dad got out of St. Mungo's in one piece, and Mum made us an abundance of clothes."

"Calling them 'Mum' and 'Dad' now, are we?"

"They've been my parents since my eighteenth birthday," Cassia replied stoutly. "I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Severus swallowed. "Very well, then," he said, obviously wanting to drop the subject. "So, you refuse to leave, then?"

Cassia nodded at him. "Of course I refuse, Severus. I'm not a coward."

"Fine," Severus said with a sneer, reaching into the inner pocket of his winter cloak and pulling something out, before reverting it to its original size, and handing it over.

Cassia crossed the room and took it from him, and scanned the paperwork. "I-I don't understand this, Severus," she said, looking up at him. "What's going on?"

"There are dark times coming, Cassia, which I'm sure you know well enough, given your position as an Auror and a Death Eater," Severus said. "Read them."

Carefully, Cassia opened the parchment packet that Severus had provided, which had information about her and the twins. It labeled them all Pure-Bloods, and that Cassia's supposed deceased husband was one as well. Cassia covered her lips with her hand as she scanned the words as quickly as she could, and shook her head. "This will protect us..."

"Yes," Severus replied, and she raised her eyes to his. "I may have been a poor boyfriend, Cassia, but that doesn't mean I don't want you or the children safe."

"But... But the Dark Lord knows my Blood Status, as do the Malfoys and the other Death Eaters who have met me..."

"Not to worry," Severus said. "I've put Memory Charms on them all, and planted false memories so that they believe that you are a Pure-Blood."

"Severus, what is going on?" she whispered.

"For your sake, and the children's, I will not tell you anything that you don't already know," he said steadily. "Just know not to automatically trust anyone. And be safe."

A lump developed in Cassia's throat then; she found herself wanting to embrace Severus to thank him for doing this for her, but forced herself out of that mindset. "Thank you," she allowed herself to say, putting out her hand, which Severus took.

"You're welcome," he said shortly, only holding her hand for a moment before he let it go, and promptly went to the front door, and returned out into the winter snow.

. . .

"I have to think of avenues to get them out of here," Cassia said, moments after she'd slammed the latest edition of _The Profit_ onto the table of Grimmauld Place, which Sirius immediately took ahold of, and scanned for clues. "This Death Eater breakout is turning our justice system into a complete joke, Sirius," she went on, pacing about the room, her hands on her hips. "Azkaban is supposed to be impenetrable; we've a similar prison in America—Alcatraz..."

Sirius looked up from the paper. "Didn't prisoners escape from there, too?"

Cassia's lip curled at that. "Yes, but they weren't found. Authorities assumed that they'd drowned, although no bodies were ever discovered." She turned around then, and proceeded to pace the length of the room all over again. "I can't just sit by and wait for people to figure out that both mine and the twins' new documentation are fakes," she said, her voice trembling. "I have a job to do, so I obviously can't leave, but they... They don't deserve..."

Sirius got to his feet. "You would be devastated if you had to give them up," he said, holding her close to him.

Cassia worried her lower lip. "Of course I would. I love them."

Sirius nodded. "If it came to that, where would you send them?"

"America," she said with a slight shrug. "I'd send them to my friends, Samantha and Alabaster Raywood. They've been trying for kids for years, without luck. If something happens to Wizarding Britain as a whole, they're the first people who would take them..."

"They're Pure-Bloods?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Alabaster is my third cousin, and comes from the well-known Raywood Pure-Blood family. As for Samantha, she was from the Willows Pure-Blood family. They would take care of my children, I know they would."

"But they don't think the way the Romano family does, do they?"

"Merlin, no!" Cassia said, shaking her head. "They hate their beliefs."

Sirius nodded, pulling Cassia into his arms, and allowing his fingers to tangle in her hair. "I'm just so worried for you, Cassia. You'll likely meet my deranged cousin soon..."

"Which one was she again?"

"Bellatrix, Narcissa's sister," Sirius said darkly. "She went to Azkaban for using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"Neville's parents," Cassia breathed, pulling back from Sirius and looking up at him. "I'd like to deliver that curse to her..."

"One day, perhaps," Sirius replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Right now, you don't want to get noticed that way by You-Know-Who."

Cassia shuddered. "No. No, I don't," she agreed.

. . .

"Come, Bella," said the Dark Lord three days after the Azkaban mass breakout, and beckoned his loyal follower towards him. "I've a new friend for you."

Cassia stood before Voldemort, permitted to come out of her reverent bow, and remained impassive as a woman with long, dark, curly hair, pale skin, and wild eyes stepped forward, her eyes roving over her.

"M-my lord?" Bellatrix said, stepping hesitantly towards him.

"Come, Bella," he said again, this time taking Cassia's hand and joining it with Bellatrix's. "I would like you to meet Cassia Serbus, a Pure-Blood, from America. Do not hold her sorting into Gryffindor against her, my dear. She is very powerful."

Cassia smiled at Bellatrix, who visibly relaxed at the look. "Pleasure to meet you, Bella," she said gently. "May I call you 'Bella'?"

"Yes," she replied, nodding her head. "What is Cassia short for?"

"Cassandra," Cassia replied, shuddering. "Never liked it myself."

"You are the one who crippled Giuseppe Romano," Bella said, clearly impressed.

Cassia nodded. "I am. Took a bout of Cruciatus before that happened. Sent him on his way afterwards, however."

"And... And you are also the one who sent Wormtail down the stairs?"

"She is, Bella, very good," the Dark Lord said with a nod. "Like I said, Cassia is quite powerful, and the fact that she wishes to be used as an instrument for the Dark is commendable, to say the very least."

"Yes, my lord," Bella said.

"Now, Cassia you will sit with Narcissa and Bella from now on, since you have proven your worth twofold," the Dark Lord said with a wave of his hand, and Cassia turned around, moving towards the indicated seats, Bella at her heels.

"You've not been marked?" Bella whispered.

Cassia shook her head. "No. As an Auror, it would be seen as obscene. However, I do hope we manage to get more friends in high places, so that can be changed."

Bella smiled, locking her arm with Cassia's. "Yes, I think this friendship will do nicely."

"It was all I could not to slam her head into the table or strangle her!" Cassia yelled, stripping as she moved to take a shower after the Death Eater meeting. "It was absolutely disgusting. And Severus was no help; he was just sitting there, observing."

Sirius stood in the doorway, contemplating joining Cassia in the shower or not. "Why does it matter how Severus reacted?"

Cassia sighed. "You're right, it doesn't."

Sirius nodded at that. "Do you still love him?"

Cassia blinked. "Wait. What?"

"Do you still love Severus?"

"Absolutely not," Cassia replied, dropping her final article of clothing to the ground and walking deliberately towards Sirius, stark-naked, but no longer caring. She took ahold of his face in her hands, and Severus covered his hands with hers. "Don't you get it? I love you."

Sirius's blue eyes sparked at that. "What?"

"I love _you_, Sirius," Cassia repeated, her voice firm. "I was afraid to say it, because it seemed to ruin things on both ends, given my last relationships. Severus couldn't love me, and, by the same token, I couldn't love Everest. But now I know what I want, and I want you. I love you, Sirius; I'm not confused about my feelings, or falling. I've fallen. I love you. I'm twenty-three-years-old and I'm tired of living in the shadows of my previous life. I'm opening myself up for all that I deserve, and what my heart wants, and my heart wants you."

Sirius pulled Cassia towards him then, tipping her head back so as to have better access to her lips, and kissed her with a reckless abandon that made Cassia's senses burn. "I love you, too, Cassia," he whispered back.

"And I am on the side of the Light," she whispered, their eyes locking together. "No matter how many meetings I go to, or what must be said and done while I'm in the role, I will never follow Voldemort with anything other than simple duty for the Greater Good. Don't ever doubt me, or my motivation, Sirius, please..."

Sirius stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Never," he whispered, and lowered his head once more to kiss her again.


	14. Running Interference

"I don't condone this," Cassia said through gritted teeth as she, Kingsley, and another Auror named John Dawlish moved towards Minister Fudge's office. "He's actually asking us to assist in a removal process of a..."

"Well, thankfully you're not in charge, then," Dawlish replied.

Kingsley reached out without hesitation then, and grabbed Dawlish by the shoulder, preventing him from walking. "I won't have you speaking about Cassia in a negative light," he said. "She is under my tutelage, and protection, not that she needs the latter," he said, giving Cassia a slight smirk before turning back to Dawlish. "You may have worked here longer, Dawlish, and are a British citizen, but I won't stand for Cassia being portrayed in a negative light under any circumstances. Now, unless you wish to be recommended for a demotion, I suggest that you apologize."

Dawlish gave Kingsley a maddeningly accusatory expression, but, once he saw the former Ravenclaw was refusing to back down, he turned to face Cassia. "I apologize," he sneered, not really sounding sorry at all.

"Dawlish," Kingsley said.

"No, Kingsley, that's all right," Cassia said, placing a hand on his shoulder before turning to face Dawlish head-on. "I'm glad I'm not in charge, especially in times like these. Far too much of a mess to attempt to clean up," she said smartly, before brushing past him and making her way to Minister Fudge's office.

Cassia kept her mouth shut as Minister Fudge explained that they would be going directly to Hogwarts, where they would meet Dolores Umbridge, and begin the removal process of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Cassia gritted her teeth at the sight of the arrest warrant, but Kingsley was able to keep her in line by continuing the conversation, and Cassia was pleased that he didn't seem to agree with the process either. Cassia remained tight-lipped as they ventured towards the Apparition Point, but Kingsley put a hand on her shoulder and dragged her away from Fudge and Dawlish.

"What are you—?!" she demanded.

Kingsley put a finger to his lips before whispering, "Confundo," and a pink light came blasting from his wand, and enveloped both Fudge and Dawlish. "There. Now, you don't need to be a part of this mission, or diminish your integrity."

Cassia blinked. "But, Kingsley..."

"Go," he told her.

Cassia shook her head. "A part of our job as Aurors is completing tasks that we may or may not enjoy, and we have no right to..."

"I know how much Albus means to you, Cassia," Kingsley whispered, his eyes firm. "Albus told me that, no matter what happens, there are a select few that we are sworn to protect, none more than Harry Potter, but you are second on that list."

Cassia's breath exhaled her lungs quickly. "I-I don't understand..."

"Your fate is tied to Harry's," Kingsley whispered, knowing just how long his charm would last, but he also knew he needed to hurry up in his explanation to Cassia. "I know Albus has told you this, Cassia. And now that your life is bonded to his as well, we need you safe. The Wizarding World needs you safe. No matter what happens, we cannot allow anything to happen to the boy, and, to an almost greater extent, you."

"Surely, I cannot be that important," Cassia said, shaking her head.

"You are a Seer, Cassia," Kingsley told her softly, and Cassia's heart thundered in her throat at the notion that he knew such information. "And now that your fate is tied to that of the Boy Who Lived, we must strive to protect you at all costs."

Cassia shook her head. "I'm nothing. How can I be...?"

"You're everything to do with the prophecy, Cassia," Kingsley said firmly.

"The prophecy?" Cassia whispered, seeing a dark door with a brass knob in its center, all in her mind. It opened, and there were thousands upon thousands of shelves with various spheres upon them, with clouds billowing inside. She saw people there, too, walking around, wands out and illuminated with the Lighting Charm, a telltale bushy head among them, and a mane of red hair accompanied them. "Oh, my," she whispered, gripping to the wall beside her, as her vision suddenly cleared, and she was no longer blind to the sites before her.

Kingsley looked as if he would question Cassia, but he merely ensured that she wouldn't tumble over with a wave of his wand. "I've got to go," he said softly. "You get yourself to Grimmauld Place and have a rest."

Cassia raised her eyes to his, and shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "What... Grimmauld Place? Why would I...?"

"The Order knows about your relationship with Black," Kingsley said with an indulgent smile her way as he shook out his robes. "Did you think we wouldn't? You were the one who answered Dumbledore's Patronus the day Arthur Weasley was attacked," he said with a smirk, and walked off, finding Fudge and Dawlish, and leaving for Hogwarts.

Cassia swallowed, before she walked over towards a vacant fireplace. She didn't want to go to Grimmauld Place, especially now that Kingsley had suggested it, and she couldn't very well go to Prince Manor, given that Tonks was working out in the field with Moody again that day, Perry had her chores, and the children were out at reception. She sighed, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder, and tossed it into the flames. "The Burrow," she whispered, and stepped in, the flames swallowing her up. She managed, somehow, to right herself quickly as she came tumbling into the living room, casting a quick Tergeo onto herself and to the surrounding area, and she looked around the house.

Molly came walking out of the kitchen, giving a little shout as she levitated the dishtowel in her hands back into the kitchen, and darted closer, pulling Cassia into her arms. "Darling, are you all right?" she asked, pressing a warm cheek against hers, smelling like warm biscuits.

"Sorry about not announcing myself first, Mum," Cassia said, holding tightly to Molly, and not wanting to let go. She found herself shaking in her surrogate mother's arms, and Molly was quick to urge her onto the living room couch.

"No, darling, you know you're always welcome here," the Weasley matriarch assured her, and summoned a teacup with all of Cassia's favorite things in it, and levitated it towards her. "Now, tell me what's bothering you, if you can."

Cassia took the teacup, swallowing the warm liquid, which managed to sooth her throat and calm her senses. "Look, I don't know how much Charlie has told you..."

"He did mention that he proposed to you whilst you were pregnant with the twins," Molly said with a slight click of her tongue. "I love that boy, but I am so pleased that you turned him down, due to your mutual love for men."

Cassia laughed aloud, banishing the teacup onto the coffee table in the center of the room. "Plus my love, at the time, for Severus..."

"So, you wish to discuss your relationship with Sirius, then?"

Cassia felt her cheeks warm, but she nevertheless shook her head. "No. Actually, Mum, I wanted to talk to you about my...abilities..."

"I know that you are a Seer, Cassia," Molly said gently, and Cassia swallowed, and Molly reached out to clutch at her hand. "Not to worry, dear. Arthur and I aren't about to let the world in on your secret."

"Who knows, then? Within the family, I mean...?"

"Just myself, Arthur, Charlie, and Bill," she replied. "Bill sort of figured it out when you told him you'd 'seen' his future wife."

"Well, we know now that it's Fleur Delacour," she replied with a laugh, remembering the Veela witch from Harry's previous year at Hogwarts, who had competed in the Triwizard Tournament with him; Bill and Fleur now worked at Gringotts, and were very happily dating. "But, Mum, I wanted to talk to you about something... Well, it's rather pressing, to say the least and I don't wish to alarm you..."

Molly nodded. "So tell me, love."

"I was a part of an assignment today," she said, hunching her shoulders. "It was to be me, Kingsley, and Dawlish... I don't much like him," she confessed, and Molly smiled, relieved that Cassia didn't like everyone she came into contact with. "We were to accompany Fudge to Hogwarts, because Dolores Umbridge has managed to manipulate the ministry into sacking Dumbledore..."

"_Sacking_?!" Molly cried out. "Merlin!"

"Yes. It seems as though Fudge will appoint Umbridge as headmistress for the time being, and Merlin knows how that will go over." She felt something itching at the back of her right hand, but she didn't question it. "Kingsley then said that I am... Well, that I bear some importance to the future of the Wizarding World..."

"You are an Auror, dear," Molly said softly. "Of course you are important."

"No, not in terms of the Wizengamot," Cassia told her with a slight shake of her head. "He was speaking of the prophecy, and Harry's future."

"Harry's future?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. Severus told me, in the wake of You-Know-Who's return, that I have entered into a physical bond with Harry. I was in pain that night," she whispered, remembering the cold hand of death which had seemed to wrap itself around her heart, before it suddenly went aflame and seemed to be burning her from the inside out. "Severus is of the opinion that, due to my close relationship with him, that I will be able to take on some of his pain. I am happy to do it, for I've been used to physical pain since I was a little girl, but this is on an entirely different level of pain, Molly..."

"Cassia?"

Cassia felt her eyes filling with tears. "I never thought he'd actually do it," she said, feeling her voice trembling. "I never thought that he would take my ideas seriously. But I've seen what he does to people who disobey him, I've seen the lashings. I just can't get hit with Crucio again, Molly, even though I know it must happen to me eventually... But I was so afraid that he would do something to me that I... I just..."

"You gave him an idea," Molly said, brushing back Cassia's hair from where it had stuck to her cheeks, which currently housed her streaks of tears. "You've borne so much in the course of your short life, Cassia. It's only natural that you would want to save yourself once in a while..."

"Not at Harry's expense!" Cassia cried out then, covering her face with her hands. "I can't believe I actually told him to..."

"To what, dear?"

"I told him to put the visions into Harry's mind," she whimpered, her voice contorting with the sobs as she attempted to continue speaking. "I didn't think he'd take the advise of an American Parseltongue, who had barely met him, who is masquerading as a Pure-Blood in order to keep herself and her children safe. All I knew that, in that moment, that punishment would come if I dared not to give him an idea. All I could think of was the pain, flowing through my body, and wondering if I'd ever see Sebastian and Circe again..." She shuddered. "I could handle it, I know that, and if I could go back, I would've... Merlin, I'm a coward," Cassia sobbed, the wails escaping her lips before she could call them back, which quickly morphed into a gasp, as she felt arms wrapping around her.

"Don't say that about yourself."

Cassia's eyes flew open at the voice, and, peering through her tears, saw that Charlie was standing before her, and was now hugging her. "I... How...?"

"Mum sent me her Patronus, so I ran to the first Floo Network I could," Charlie said with a shrug of his shoulders, and Cassia stared, open-mouthed, at Molly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Molly smiled, dashing the tears from her eyes. "I figured you needed your brother in this moment, my darling," she said simply.

Cassia nodded, launching herself back into Charlie's arms. "I'm no Gryffindor," she whispered then, her tone hearted.

"You're _absolutely_ a Gryffindor," Charlie said, pushing Cassia back, and staring into her eyes without blinking. "You put your life on the line two times over whenever you walk out of your house, morning or night. You could be caught at any given moment, as you play turncoat for both the Light and the Dark, but you risk it all, because you have gifts that many witches and wizards only dream about. You're a Seer, a Siren, and a Parseltongue, and many other things to boot, Cassia. Your bravery knows no bounds, you're as stubborn and loyal as they come, and you would do anything for your friends and family. You're a Weasley, in everything but name; you're a witch, and have been since you were a child; you're a Seer, a Siren, a Parseltongue, and a bloody brave woman. You're my sister, my best friend, and so much more than that, and I can't help but think that you feel as if you're lacking something when, in fact, you've got everything you could ever want, and so much more."

Cassia shook her head. "I don't have everything, Charlie, but I am quite happy with what I do have," she said, and forced a smile to her lips, knowing that, at the end of the day, this conversation was not over.

. . .

Cassia felt her blood boiling as she gripped the letter from Ron in her hands. She was shaking so much in her rage that she inadvertently burned in, and shook herself, somehow able to escape the moment of accidental magic without hurting herself. She stomped from her cubicle at the ministry and went straight for Fudge's office, despite bewildered looks from Tonks, skeptical from Everest, warning from Kingsley, and criticizing from Moody.

"Fudge," she said, shoving the door to the office open, and openly glaring at the minister, not caring if she lost her job over this, as she commanded the room and placed her hands upon her side of his desk.

"Yes, Miss Serbus?"

Cassia gritted her teeth at the notion that he was forgoing her title, but kept her mouth shut, about that, at the very least. "Explain to me who authorized the use of blood quills at Hogwarts," she demanded of him, her senses on overdrive.

Fudge blinked. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're the one who appointed that toad of a woman, who makes me dislike the color pink more and more each day, as headmistress," she said, forcing her voice not to shake. "She must have to seek approval from somewhere when it comes to glorified torture implements, and using them against students no less—!"

"I have nothing to explain to you," Fudge said, getting to his feet and fixing Cassia with a glare through his beady gray eyes. "As Minister for Magic..."

"_Don_'_t_ you try to use your title to get out of this one," Cassia said, jabbing a finger in his direction, feeling her magic and rage coming together as they threatened to bubble to the surface and make themselves known. "My brother sent me a letter this morning, informing me of the torture this woman is putting the students through—"

"As far as I'm aware, Miss Serbus, you only have three brothers, two of whom are what you would call No-Maj's, and they live in America. The only magical brother you have, as I recall, would be Edgar Serbus, who, as far as I'm aware, is one of the Beaters for the American National Quidditch Team."

Cassia gritted her teeth. "Forgive me, perhaps an explanation is in order," she said. "I meant my brother of my adopted family, the Weasleys. I am referring to Ron Weasley, who is in the end of his fifth-year at Hogwarts. He's written to me, informing me that Headmistress Dolores Umbridge is using blood quills to—"

"Ah, yes, young Ronald," Fudge said, cutting across Cassia. "The best friend of young wizard Harry Potter. He and Miss Hermione Granger assisted young Harry in forming Dumbledore's Army, at former Headmaster Dumbledore's presumed request."

Cassia swallowed. "Nevertheless, the current headmistress is using blood quills—"

"It is a preferred method of punishment among some witches and wizards, Miss Serbus," said Fudge, as if he was discussing the benefit of getting regular sunlight.

"It's not punishment, it's _torture_!" Cassia cried out. "How can you stand there and defend her when she's sanctioning the mutilation of children?! She works through _you_, Fudge, you, and she's giving the Ministry of Magic a bad name!"

"That's enough!" Fudge said, slamming the palm of his hand down onto his desk. "You're treading on thin ice, Miss Serbus. First you claim that You-Know-Who is back, then you randomly disappear on the day that we're due to arrest Dumbledore, and now you're gallivanting around and accusing me of torturing children."

"Umbridge works through you, Fudge," Cassia ground out. "The process of elimination is not difficult to sift through."

"Out," Fudge said, narrowing his eyes at her. "And if I hear of another moment of you acting in an insubordinate manner, you'll be on desk duty, and then we'll be taking your job if things go south from there. Now, out with you."

Cassia glared at Fudge with all the strength she could muster, before turning on her heel and leaving the office quickly. Instead of going to her desk like a good little Auror, she made a show of leaving the vicinity and heading down the staircase, towards the fireplaces. She ordered a Floo to take her directly to Hogwarts, and showed up in the Great Hall. Because it was mid-afternoon, nobody was around, and so she left there and headed straight upstairs to the headmistress's office, blood boiling the entire time.

"Blood quills?" she asked the gargoyle, who looked sickened, but immediately jumped out of the way, clearing a path for Cassia. Cassia advanced up the stairs and walked towards the door, pushing it open quickly and looking around. The walls, formerly golden and reserved when Albus had possessed the office, were not splattered with an unappealing pink, and were currently playing host to an abundance of decorative plates, each sporting a different kind of kitten, which mewled softly upon their circular surface.

"Ah, Auror Serbus," Umbridge said, with that token saccharine warmth she tried to put on whenever someone she deemed to be important was in her midst. She was stirring a cup of tea with a real silver spoon, and the cup itself was made out of gaudy fine china that you would see in a frightening grandmother's curio case. "What may I do for you, dear?"

"You can start by explaining to me why I got this letter from my brother this morning," Cassia said promptly, revitalizing the letter from the ashes, and banishing it towards her.

Umbridge took the letter, smiling slightly as she went over the words, and set it down upon her desk once she had finished. "I was unaware that there was any familial relations between you and the Weasley family, Auror Serbus."

"Just because the Weasleys and I are not bonded by blood, madam, doesn't mean we cannot be bonded in spirit," Cassia replied, doing her best to keep her temper. "Arthur and Molly Weasley took me in as their daughter upon the occasion of my eighteenth birthday. I may have had a family growing up, but there was no love there, and now I've got it."

"Hmmm," Umbridge hummed, adding another spoonful of what appeared to be brown sugar into her disgusting cup of tea. "Well, that is quite a touching little anecdote, Auror Serbus. Now, would you kindly inform me as to the purpose of your visit?"

"I am here to inquire what gives you the right to torture children," she replied.

Umbridge giggled at her words. "Such passion, Auror Serbus, good work. And it is not torture, my dear, but a just punishment, for organizing themselves without the express permission of either the former headmaster, or the High Inquisitor, my former title."

"Yes, I am fully aware of the title that Fudge permitted you to have," Cassia told her. "What I am not fully aware of is where medieval punishments—or, rather, methods of torture—were approved of by the necessary people. I cannot understand why people can just sit by and allow such treatment to carry on like this. What gives you the right to treat children in such a manner? I am afraid I cannot understand how and why you deem your methods to be appropriate, because, they are, quite frankly, disturbing in nature and, perhaps, the presence of a Mind Healer would do you a world of good—"

"Hem, hem," Umbridge said, and Cassia found herself cut off immediately. She got slowly to her feet then, and walked towards Cassia, who stood her ground, narrowing her eyes at the so-called headmistress in front of her. "I so appreciate your concern for my inner mind, Cassia—it truly speaks volumes about what kind of person you truly are," she said, gushing now. "However, what you must understand here, dear, is the fact that what Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him. I do hope you can come to the direct conclusion that I am merely assisting in the molding of appropriate minds for the well-being of the future of the Wizarding World. When young Harry Potter blatantly ignored the rules set into place, rules that are meant solely to protect these students from hurting themselves or others, only the most severe of punishments was appropriate for him and everyone else who dared disobey these rules. Now, I think we can both come to an understanding here, dear, in that I am the headmistress, and what I say, goes."

Cassia gritted her teeth. "You are not my headmistress."

Umbridge considered at for a moment, but smiled even broader. "Perhaps not, my dear, but I am still the Headmistress of Hogwarts—"

"Nor are you anyone else's headmistress, for the things you have done, the actions you've permitted, and the facts you've spewed are all reasons why you are exactly the wrong kind of person for this position. You're supposed to be a helping hand for these children, not a damaging one, and that is precisely what you're doing, Umbridge—damage. Damage to young minds which are still forming, and will be permanently scarred because of your actions, both mentally and physically. I wonder what was done to you in your life that makes you into the sadist that you truly are, that you would willingly stand by and watch these children mutilating themselves, all on your orders. Or, perhaps, you were always like this. You were, weren't you?" Cassia asked her then, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You were always wanting to be on top of everything, and so willing to crush those who opposed you, at each and every turn. Letting them bleed out until they accepted your tyranny as a form of sick loyalty. I will protect these children from your blind will, Dolores," she sneered, "because, if nobody else will, I suppose the duty must fall to me because, in the end, these children need saving from you and all you've done."

"Enough!" she screamed then, grabbing ahold of Cassia's Auror robes and staring down at her with rage in her eyes. "Enough," she stated, staring into Cassia's eyes, and it was in that moment that Cassia felt a wand sticking into her chest. "Imperio," said the woman, and Cassia immediately went pliable in her grip, although her mind was screaming at her to run as fast as she could out of there. "Come here," she said then, and pulled Cassia after her, and she was promptly filled with loathing as she did this toad's bidding.

Cassia said nothing as she was shoved into a chair, and watched as a piece of parchment was transfigured from nothing, and a golden quill with a feather attached to it was shoved into her left hand. "Am I to write something?" Cassia demanded, her tone biting.

"Keep sweet," Umbridge ordered, and Cassia felt a smile coming to her lips. "Good. Now, I order you to write, _I must not interfere_. Can you do that for me, Cassia?"

Cassia nodded. "Of course, headmistress," she replied, dutifully bending herself over the paper, and scratching the tip of the quill onto it. She felt a hiss coming through her lips then, and felt an itch upon the back of her right hand and stared, awestruck, as the words carved themselves into her skin, as her own blood made contact with the paper, all by her own hand. "How many times would you like me to write this, headmistress?" she asked sweetly.

Umbridge considered that for a moment. "Well, let's say for as long as it takes for the message to sink in. Go on," she said softly, encouragingly, as she watched Cassia continuing to use the blood quill, gripping in her hand. After a solid hour of this, the back of Cassia's hand scarred very well, she ordered Cassia from her office.

In a daze, Cassia somehow managed to go down the stairs without tripping over the gargoyle, and made her way down the corridors. She said nothing to people who recognized her, or who called out to her, and just continued walking in a fog. She made her way towards the Great Hall, thinking she would just head to the Floo Network, when she felt a hand on her arm and, upon turning, saw Severus standing there. "Severus," she said, grinning up at him like an idiot. "How are you? It's been ages."

Severus stared down at her in a moment of shock, before pulling her away from the Great Hall and down the steps towards the dungeons, without looking back. Once he got her into his private rooms, he stared at her again, before he pulled out his wand and said, "Finite," and Cassia almost instantly went ridged, and backed away from him.

"Thank you for that," she said, shaking her head and putting her hand to it. "I was hoping that someone would look into my eyes and see that I was screaming for help—"

"What in Merlin's name?!" Severus demanded then, grabbing ahold of the hand which held her head, and examined it, his eyes blazing. "What have you done?!"

"Umbridge," Cassia said, wincing as Severus dragged his fingers up her open wounds. "I went to Fudge in the wake of a letter I got from Ron. The woman is making them write lines with these in the wake of Dumbledore's Army becoming public knowledge," she said. "I confronted her and told her to stop, and then she Imperio'd me, and..."

Severus sighed, pain in his eyes as he moved his wand so that it was positioned directly above her hand. "Vulnera Sanentur," he said, his voice an intoxicating song, which set Cassia's heart on fire. "Vulnera Sanentur," he repeated, as he drifted his wand up and down the surface of the back of her right hand, and did so gently, soothingly, and Cassia watched in amazement as the blood was swallowed back up by her skin, and the wounds were closed.

"Severus, what...? What was that?" she whispered, clutching at her hand when he turned her lose, and ran her fingers up and down the healed skin.

"A spell of my own invention," he replied. "I will not speak of the reason why I needed to invent a counter-spell for the other, for it is the darkest thing imaginable." He hesitated. "What did you end up saying to Umbridge?"

Cassia gently took ahold of Severus's arm, which still held his wand, and pointed it at her temple without fear. "Use___Legilimens_ on me," she whispered.

Severus hesitated, knowing full well that, the last time Cassia had told him to do such a thing, it was to tell him that her love for him was real. Finally, curiosity won out, and Severus pointed his wand at her temple again. "Legilimens," he said.

Cassia let out a gasp at Severus's invasion of her mind, but showed him exactly what he had wanted to see, and nothing more. She let out an involuntary jerking motion when Severus retreated after the memory, and stared up at him; they were mutually trembling, due to all the unresolved tension between them, and the obvious attraction that still remained. "Thank you, Severus, for healing me."

Severus nodded. "Of course."

Cassia hesitated. She stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Severus moved to pull her to him then, but hesitated. "Cassia..."

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Are... Are you still...?"

She nodded. "I'm still with Sirius, yes," she replied, and Severus promptly stepped away from her at the revelation. "I'm sorry..."

Severus shook his head. "Don't be. I..." He swallowed then, knowing exactly what needed to be said in that moment. "I know he can give you things that I cannot."

Cassia swallowed. "Perhaps he can," she allowed, before she turned around on her heel then, and used Severus's Floo Network to leave the school.

. . .

Cassia lay upon the roof of Grimmauld Place with Sirius, staring up at the beautiful, star-filled sky as late-spring truly came upon them, almost as if for the first time. She felt safe and happy, wrapped up by Sirius's arm, and lying against his side, watching the shooting stars. She didn't even bother making a wish; for the first time, she felt as if she had the capability of having everything, and she didn't want to jinx it.

"Cassia?"

"Yes?"

Sirius pushed himself upwards then, taking Cassia with him, and stared at her. "Are you happy with me? Truly?"

Cassia smiled, leaning in and brushing her lips with his. "Of course I am, Sirius. I don't think I've been as happy in my whole life, as I've been these last few months. Yes, Umbridge is a tyrant, and she had no right to cut up my hand like that—or the rest of the students at Hogwarts—but we'll figure out a way to get rid of her. I know we will."

Sirius reached out then, cupping Cassia's cheek in his hand, and smiled slightly when Cassia leaned into the touch. "You know, I'm still surprised you're with me..."

"Why?" she asked, turning to press a kiss into his palm. "Why would you be surprised, Sirius? I fell in love with you. No reason for me to deny myself any more happiness. I'm happy with you, and I'll tell you that every day, if you'll let me."

Sirius hesitated for a moment. "How about for the rest of our lives?"

Cassia blinked, straightening herself up then and staring into Sirius's beautiful blue eyes. "I... I don't know what... Sirius, what are you saying?"

Sirius smiled slowly then, and reached into his trouser pocket, whereupon he drew out a ring box in one flawless motion. "I sent Kreacher to the Black family vault at Gringotts for this," he said gently to her, placing the box into her hands, and gently flipped it open.

Cassia gasped aloud at the sight of the beautiful upright oval-shaped emerald in a gorgeous gold setting, surrounded completely by circular diamonds of varying sizes, the smaller ones spilling out onto the band itself. Each jewel was flawless, and it was antique, and likely to be worth a fortune, not that Sirius needed the money. "Sirius..." She whispered.

Sirius smiled at her amazement and knelt before her, taking the ring so that he could give her a proper proposal. "Cassandra Sybylla Serbus, will you give my life light, happiness, and fulfillment, off-the-charts, and marry me? Will you make a family with your children, and with me as a father-figure? Will you let me give you the love you deserve, and be my wife?"

Cassia opened her mouth again. "Sirius..."

"Don't, not yet," Sirius said, and slipped the ring onto her finger. "You take a week, think it over," he said with a smile. "Let me know your answer then." He held her close to him for a moment, kissing her, and Cassia, in an unexpected gesture, threw her arms around her, feeling slightly perturbed at the notion that he was saying goodbye to her, but wouldn't allow those thoughts to take over, holding her hand up in a wave as he Apparated back inside.

Cassia summoned her broom then, hopping on it quickly, and sailing up into the sky. She gave a final look down at Grimmauld Place, and saw Sirius standing in his yard. Her eyes filled with tears then, and she knew she didn't need a week. She held up her hand, using it as an anchor in which to blow him a kiss, and took off, staring at the ring for a moment, and permitted herself a moment to consider herself Mrs. Black.

. . .

Cassia felt fleeting pain through her during the course of the following day, and it was not until Tonks dragged her towards the hearth in Prince Manor, taking them directly to the ministry, that Cassia grasped the entirety of the situation. They then dashed towards that door that Cassia had seen in her thoughts, pushed their way in, and it was then that she saw Remus, Moody, and Kingsley among the people summoned, and they ran towards the other side of the room, Apparating just before they fell over the edge. They found themselves in the Death Chamber of the ministry, and Cassia saw spells flying around and around.

"Shit," she whispered, her eyes locking with Sirius's, and she was relieved to see that he was standing with Harry.

There were Death Eaters running wild, each taking ahold of one of Harry's friends as prisoner, and it was then that Cassia realized that Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and a sixth student, who Cassia recognized as Luna Lovegood, were being held captive. Something about their presence there set them off, and the Death Eaters left, each member of the order swooping in and grabbing someone to remove.

"Hermione!" Cassia shouted, grabbing her before she was dropped completely, and secured her, following Tonks—who had both Ginny and Luna—out of the room. Cassia held Hermione close to her then, keeping a careful grip on her as they went through the darkened hallways between the Death Chamber and a safe zone. Once they got them to safety, she looked around, her heart beating in her chest. "Stay with them, Tonks."

"Cassia, you're not actually—" Tonks began.

"You're damn right I am," Cassia replied, and ran back in, seeing plenty of opportunity to help, and lifted her wand. "Stupefy!" she screamed, the word tearing from her throat, and she quickly disarmed Walden Macnair, who was blocking her way back in, and the Dark Wizard left in a cloud of black smoke. Cassia saw Avery standing beside him, and quickly yelled, "Bombarda Maxima!" which shattered his wand in his hands. "Petrificus Totalus!" she cried out, and he promptly went ridged and fell to the ground.

"Ah, fighting for the side of the Light, are we?" Lucius said, ignoring Harry and Sirius for the moment, and narrowing his eyes at Cassia.

"Locomotor Mortis!" she cried out then, and Lucius's legs bound themselves together, and he promptly fell to the ground, cursing Merlin and all there was to curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" came a shout from across the room, and Cassia was stunned to see the curse come from Bellatrix.

Cassia turned her head, noticing the curse was aimed for Harry, but Sirius darted in front of it, the blast of green light smashing into him. Cassia's mouth dropped open then, and she stood there in shock as Sirius gave a pained smile, first to her and then to Harry, before he fell through the veil of the archway they stood beside. Cassia felt pain inside her then, knowing it was merely from her, although it could have been from Harry as well. She watched as Lupin held onto him as he screamed, and Cassia ran out of the room; she couldn't stand to be there any longer. She dashed down the hallway, towards the safe zone, her heart pounding in her ears and tears blinding her vision as she ran away from that accursed room.

She caught a glimpse of everyone staring at her, once she got to safety, but she turned and left out the opposite door. She had to get away from there, she had to. Once she tripped and nearly fell at the opposite end of the hallway, and gripped onto the wall then and let out a scream that was nearly inhuman. It wouldn't be turned off, couldn't be; she dropped her wand and her shoulders stiffened, and she continued wailing.

"Cassia."

The soft voice and the touch upon her shoulder awoke her from the sadness, and she turned around, seeing Tonks standing there. Cassia threw herself into her arms then, shaking. "I... I'm sorry... I just... I couldn't..."

Tonks pulled back then, and caught a glimpse of something shiny on Cassia's hand. "That's beautiful. What is it?"

"An engagement ring," she whispered.

Tonks looked up at Cassia. "A what? You and Sirius...?"

Cassia nodded, trembling all over. "I love him," she whispered, shaking. "I never thought I'd love anyone after Severus, but I did... And now he's gone. That bitch took him from me," she cried out then, her hands balling themselves into fists. "I should have killed her, but instead, I fucking ran. I fucking ran like the coward I am..."

Tonks pulled Cassia back into her arms, running her hand through her hair. "You are not a coward," she whispered.

"Right," Cassia said, scoffing.

"I know you're not. Come on," she said, and pulled on her. "Harry needs us."

Cassia dashed the tears from her eyes, feeling as if someone had cut off a part of her body as Tonks Apparated them to the main part of the ministry. They walked out from behind a hearth, and Cassia's jaw dropped to see Albus there, standing over Harry. They seemed to be in a bubble of some kind, and Harry was suddenly rearing up, eyes snake-like, and Cassia gripped ahold of Tonks's arm, sensing that, on some level, Voldemort himself there as well.

"Merlin," Cassia whispered then, the cool hand of death wrapping itself around her heart, followed by the flames of fire. Her knees buckled then, and Tonks nearly fell as well, looking from her, to Harry, and back again.

"Oh, my," she whispered. "Spiritus Vinculum..."

Cassia let out a gasp then, as she felt something attempting to enter her mind then but somehow she managed to fight it off. She clutched at her heart then, and Tonks yanked down the zipper of her hastily put-on sweater, and drew back with a cry then, so much so that Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna turned around to look at the exchange.

"She's got a scar!" Hermione whispered, taking in the thunderbolt scar, positioned directly above Cassia's heart.

"Looks fresh, too," Ron said quietly, looking from in between the wizard and witch in peril, on opposite sides of the room.

"Why does she have that?" Ginny asked, the question directed at Hermione.

"It seems to be a Spirit Bond, like Tonks said," Luna observed, speaking for the first time.

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to be?!" Ron demanded, looking from Harry, to Cassia, and back again. "If it means I have to lose my sister _and_ my best mate..."

"It means that there is a deep emotional bond between both Harry and Cassia," Luna went on to explain, her voice downright lyrical. "Oh, yes, it runs quite deep," Luna said softly, as Cassia and Harry reared back at the same exact moment. "Cassia takes on some of Harry's pain, almost in an unconscious manner, because of their deep friendship, and because their ultimate destinies are tied closely to one another."

Cassia felt hissing coming from her lips then, and everyone but Luna drew back. _My massster is not to be doubted_, she said, and Cassia noted with horror that she was effectively speaking for Nagini in that moment. "No, don't! Let me go!" she yelled out, trying to break the bond, but she went stiff again, the snake taking over. _Sssoon all of the Wizarding World ssshall know jussst how far he truly plans to go_. _Never doubt my massster_, she said, and let out a final hiss, before the rigidity left her body, and she lay flat on the ground.

"You're the weak one," Harry spoke from across the room, and Cassia rotated her head to see him speaking to nothing. "And you'll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you," he declared, before it appeared as if glass wad leaving him then, and Voldemort stood confidently before the boy.

"You're a fool, Harry Potter," came the voice of Voldemort from across the room. "And you will lose everything."

_Don_'_t doubt my massster_, came Nagini's voice in her mind. _This is a very dangerousss game you_'_re attempting to play_, _Casssia Ssserbusss_. _Sssoon we will all truly sssee where your loyaltiesss lie_.

Cassia forced herself upwards, into a standing position, with Tonks flanking her on one side, and Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna flanking her on the other. She watched then as Voldemort continued to stand over Harry, and then turned her head as Fudge, Everest, Dawlish, and Percy Weasley walked out from one of the Floo hearths, and stared in an astonished manner at Voldemort, before he vanished, leaving Albus to clutch at Harry.

"He's back," Fudge whispered.

. . .

Cassia awoke the following day in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, with Madam Pomfrey looking down at her. Cassia managed a smile at the mediwitch, and levitated her pillows slightly, giving her the ability to sit somewhat upright. "What's the damage, then?"

"Were you aware of the cut on your chest, Cassia?"

Cassia sighed. "Not until yesterday, Poppy. It was identified by Miss Luna Lovegood as a Spirit Bond, and I suppose this is the physical marker," she said, peeking at it from beneath her hospital gown.

Poppy looked amazed. "A Spiritus Vinculum?" she whispered.

Cassia nodded. "It appears to be, yes."

Poppy was about to say something further, but Albus stepped into the hospital wing. "Oh, headmaster. You wish to see Cassia?"

"I do, Poppy, if that's all right."

"Yes," Poppy said, wringing her hands upon her apron. "Well, you seem to be quite alert, and you've responded well to the rest. You're free to go, Cassia."

"Thank you, Poppy," Cassia replied. She used a Cleaning Spell before swapping out her hospital gown and Auror robes, before she got to her feet. "How are you, Albus?"

"I should be asking you that, Cassia," Albus replied. "Are you all right?"

Cassia bit her lip, looking down at the emerald ring, still on her finger. "I suppose I have to be, don't I? Death, unfortunately in many cases, is still an irreversible process. I suppose I will be all right eventually."

"Tonks mentioned that Sirius had proposed."

Cassia nodded. "He did, yes."

"Did you give him your answer?"

"It was always 'yes'," Cassia said quietly. "I think he knew it, on some level, but he told me to take a week, just so I could be sure." She smiled. "He was considerate, he was."

"Tonks also mentioned that the Spiritus Vinculum has come to pass."

Cassia raised her eyebrows. "Come to pass? Albus, what do you mean?"

"I always said that you and Harry's fates were tied together, Cassia. The full-effects went through yesterday, as it would seem. And now that the ministry and _The Profit_ know the truth about Voldemort's return, we can all rest a little easier. Plus, you will now always know if Harry is in any form of danger."

"He is my brother," Cassia said with a slight shrug. "We grew up so similarly, and he bonded to me pretty quickly..."

"You met him here, four years ago," Albus said softly, and Cassia looked around the room, recalling that day. "He didn't bond to you immediately because you gave him a broom compass, or promised to come to one of his games. He bonded to you because you didn't pressure him to speak, and waited for him to become comfortable with you. You showed him kindness when not many had before then, and became his friend, not for his name, but for himself."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's true."

"He would like to see you, before you return home, if that is all right."

Cassia nodded a second time. "Of course. I shall be there shortly."

Albus nodded in understanding before he slipped out.

Cassia turned around and walked over to the attached bathroom of the hospital wing, and stepped into it. After relieving herself, she moved to wash her hands, and stared at herself in the mirror. It was quite a sight, seeing herself, bereft of much emotion. Biting her lip, she removed her wand from her pocket, and took down her hair, which she had spelled into a bun. Carefully, she raised her wand then, so that it was pressing the bit of hair just meeting her collar bone, and whispered in a quiet tone, "Diffindo," and a red light sparked out of her wand, slicing her hair evenly all around her head. "Incendio," she muttered, and the crop of golden-brown hair in her hand vanished with a spark of flame, and she moved to leave the bathroom.

Cassia walked towards the astronomy tower, instinctively knowing that Harry would be up there waiting for her. She smiled slightly and nodded to the various people making their way towards the end-of-the-year feast, and was saddened to know that Harry wouldn't participate. She climbed the stairs of the astronomy tower and made her way into the general vicinity, spotting Harry, staring at the Black Lake beyond.

"Harry."

Harry turned around slightly, and started at Cassia's appearance. "Your hair..."

Cassia gave a soft smile and shrugged. "It was time." She stepped forwards then, and allowed Harry to hug her then, and held him close to her for a moment. "Albus sent me," she told him, her voice quiet. "He said you wanted to see me."

Harry sighed and pulled back, his shoulders slacking. "He claims to know how I feel, but I know that he doesn't..."

Cassia nodded, deciding to agree, rather than inform Harry of Albus's past. "I'm sorry. I know it's difficult when someone you love is taken from you."

Harry bit his lip. "There was... There was something between you and Sirius, wasn't there?" he asked then, and Cassia looked down at him. "I mean, Hermione thinks there was, anyway, and she's the best in our year."

Cassia nodded, showing Harry the ring. "There was," she whispered.

"Wait. You got married?!" he demanded.

Cassia immediately shook her head. "No, Harry, we didn't get married. He... Sirius _did_ ask me two nights ago if I would marry him. I was going to say yes," she said, and motioned with her wand then, and nodded. "It's all right. Look at my memories."

Harry hesitated, but used the spell, and pulled out of Cassia's mind when the memories began to repeat themselves again. "If... If things had gone better, and we could've gotten Sirius's name cleared, then... Then we'd all be living together. Me, you, Sirius, and your kids..."

Cassia nodded. "We would have, yes." She put an arm around his shoulders. "And I would have treated you the same way as I treat Sebastian and Circe."

Harry sighed. "All good things have to come to an end, I suppose."

Cassia sighed, and took off the ring, and handed it over to Harry. "You're Sirius's direct heir, Harry, and by all rights, this belongs to you."

"You can have it, Cassia..."

"No," Cassia told him, her voice firm. "I can't take it, Harry." She smiled at him. "Besides, I know that, one day, you'll give it to the girl who means everything to you."

Harry sighed, pocketed the ring, and looked out at the lake again for a moment. "Luna told me something, something that happened at the ministry... A Spirit Bond?"

"Yes. Spiritus Vinculum," Cassia confirmed. "It means that we've got a sacred bond, Harry, and it means that I will take in some of your pain, whenever Voldemort attempts to possess you. I actually figured out, last night, how deep the bond goes..."

"How long have you known about it?"

"Since the third task," she replied. "You unconsciously warned me that something was wrong, and I was then able to figure out that Moody wasn't Moody, and that's how I got Albus, Minerva, and Severus to get in there to help you."

Harry shuddered. "Sounds painful."

"It is," Cassia confirmed, unclipping her Auror robes to show him the thunderbolt upon her upper chest. "That carved itself here last night. I found out that my mind isn't as safe-guarded as I believed..."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that Nagini can communicate through me," she replied, gripping the beam which was wrapped around the entirety of the astronomy tower.

Harry stared at Cassia, open-mouthed. "You're a Parseltongue?"

Cassia sighed. "I am, yes. I don't know where I got it from," she confessed. "I mean, my father is a No-Maj, and nobody in my mother's side of the family has ever mentioned having the gift. Of course, they would, given that they support Voldemort..." She shuddered.

"You sure your family is telling you the truth?"

"About no Parseltongues existing before me? Yes."

"No. I mean about your dad," Harry replied, and Cassia turned to look at him again. "I mean, it's usually a curse, in my case, or an inherited trait."

Cassia scoffed. "My mother may have cursed me, for all I know..."

"Do you look like your father?" Harry asked, staring out at the lake, his tone wistful. "People say that I look just like mine, except for my eyes, and my personality."

Cassia considered her father for a moment—he had dark brown hair, blue eyes, a rather ruddy complexion... For the first time in her entire life, Cassia suddenly realized that she didn't look a thing like her father, or Noah and Liam, for that matter. "I don't think it matters, one way or the other, if you look like someone. Besides, sometimes looks skip a generation, don't they?"

Harry shrugged. "Wouldn't really know. I mean, I look like my parents, but I don't physically know them. Maybe it's different for you."

Cassia bit down hard on her lip, and followed Harry's gaze out onto the lake. "I want you to know, Harry, no matter what happens, that I'll always be here."

Harry sighed. "You're not going to die on me?"

Cassia shook her head. "Not planning on it."

"Nobody plans on it," Harry said. "It just happens."

Cassia reached out then, and put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "I know I can't promise anything, Harry, but, to the best of my abilities, I won't die on you."

Harry sighed, leaning into Cassia's shoulder. "Guess I'm just scared to lose more people in my life that I love."

Cassia swallowed then, thinking of how wonderful it would've been to have a life and a family in Harry, Sirius, and the twins. "I know," she replied.

"Makes me sound pretty cowardly, huh?"

"No, it doesn't," Cassia told him, squeezing his shoulder. "It doesn't, and I'll tell you why. It's brave to admit your vulnerabilities, and your fears. It doesn't take away from who you are, or your bravery. It strengthens it, because you're able to be honest with yourself."

"I think my mum would've liked you," Harry said after a moment.

Cassia smiled, touched, as she felt tears on her lashes. "Yeah," she replied, holding Harry close against her as they stared out at the lake. "I think I would've liked her, too."


	15. Death of a Thousand Cuts

In the wake of Fudge being sacked from the ministry, Cassia held out hope that somehow, some way, that things would try to rectify themselves. When Rufus Scrimgeour was made the new Minister of Magic, she believed that, given his background as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that he would be suited for the job. She truly thought that when he gave a press conference to _The Daily Profit_, admitting that dark times were not ahead, and that they were officially in them, and that they shouldn't be denied any longer, and that they would all have to remain vigilant that, perhaps, something would change.

She was wrong.

Cassia walked over to her hearth in her master suite at Prince Manor; it was after midnight, close to three in the morning, and she had come off of a double shift at the ministry, not getting home until after eleven. She crouched before the flames, spotting Severus's face in them, and squinted slightly, attempting to blink the exhaustion from her eyes and from her senses. "Severus?" she whispered, peering closer, wondering what the man wanted so early in the morning, on the penultimate day of August. "What's going on?"

"We've been summoned," Severus replied, his tone grave. "He's very unhappy, but I believe he's planned for his next move. Meet me at the gates at Malfoy Manor. Quickly," he told her, before the flames flickered, and he was gone.

Cassia shivered, but nevertheless got to her feet, casting a quick Cleaning Charm onto herself before she made a grab for her wand. "Lumos Maxima," she whispered, crossing the room to her wardrobe, and banished her shorts and undershirt onto her bed, which she made with a flick of her arm. Next, she opened the doors of her wardrobe and grabbed her black articles of clothing, managing to get the matching black bra and panty set on in the semi-darkness, and put her long black dress over her head. She stepped into her black flats, and finally made a grab for her black cloak, whispering, "Glacius Minimis," so as she wouldn't overheat. She dragged a brush through her hair, which was now the length of her thunderbolt scar upon her chest, and casted a tooth-brushing charm, before she Apparated with a pop, wand still gripped in her hand.

Severus was standing at the gates awaiting her, and steadied her as she appeared before him, looking directly into her eyes. "Are you all right?"

"No," Cassia whispered, shaking her head. "I can feel his anger, because of my connection with Nagini," she said softly, placing a hand upon her thunderbolt. "Whatever he's planning, it's not good, so we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Severus nibbled his lip. "I don't want you to..."

"It's all right," she assured him. "How have Narcissa and Draco been? Do they hate me for casting the Leg-Locker Curse on Lucius?"

"Narcissa believes that your actions were merciful," Severus assured her. "Don't worry. She was able to explain to Draco that you have an image to keep up, and I've been assured that they bear no ill-will towards you."

She worried her lower lip. "This won't bode well for Harry," she whispered. "Draco will blame him on getting his father sent to Azkaban..."

"We don't know that," Severus said, squeezing her shoulders before letting her go. "Come on, we'd best see what he wants."

Cassia followed Severus through the gates of the manor, and they made their way towards the front door of the place, which opened once Severus raised his hand. They barely spent a moment downstairs, and quickly walked up the staircase, meeting Voldemort, Nagini, Narcissa, Draco, Bellatrix, and some other scattered Death Eaters in the meeting room. Cassia looked at everyone there, and Bellatrix promptly held out her hand to her, but Cassia walked past her, kneeling before Voldemort.

"My lord, I came as quickly as I could," she whispered, kissing his hand.

"Yes, you came most promptly, Cassia," he replied, gently taking his hand from hers and petting her briefly on the head. "Go on now and stand with Bella and Narcissa."

"Yes, my lord," Cassia replied, straightening up immediately and crossing over to Bella and Narcissa, who both took her hands.

"Ah, Severus," said Voldemort, permitting Severus to take his hand and kiss it. "Thank you for joining us on this joyous occasion."

Cassia turned and regarded Draco, standing on Narcissa's other side, who looked positively dreadful, but made no outward comment.

"My lord, may I ask what occasion this is?" Severus asked, getting slowly to his feet, once the Dark Lord permitted him to do so with a flick of his hand.

"Yes," he replied, nodding, his red eyes fiery with excitement, "but it would be far better for me to show you. Come, Draco," he ordered, and Draco walked towards him in an unsteady manner, eyes downcast, until he stood before him. "Bear your arm for me, Draco."

Draco rolled up the sleeve of his black, button-down shirt, and Cassia felt her eyes widen as the white flesh became exposed, and she felt herself shaking.

Voldemort smiled at the obedience of the sixteen-year-old wizard, and drew his wand then, as Nagini coiled herself around his neck. "Morsmordre," he said then, a flash of green light leaving the tip of his wand, and the black skull snake symbol appeared on Draco's flesh, appearing to burn him severely, as his knees buckled, and he screamed, clutching at his arms. "Severus, where is that Wiggenweld Potion is asked you to bring?" Voldemort asked, his tone bored, and Severus immediately fell to his knees, cradling Draco in a compassionate manner in his arms, and took the vial out of his inner robe pocket, and tipped the potion down the boys' throat. "Ah, now that's better, isn't it?" he asked as Draco stumbled to his feet, staring at him with tear-filled eyes, and Cassia felt revulsion throughout her entire being. "Let us see if it works, shall we?" he asked the crowd of Death Eaters around him, and Bella immediately stepped forward and extended her arm to him, which Voldemort pressed, and Draco let out a groan of pain, clutching his arm as tightly as he could, and Voldemort nodded. "Thank you, Bella. And very good, Draco." His eyes slid from Draco then, and motioned him back towards Narcissa, before his gaze locked onto Cassia's, and her dread increased two-fold. "Perhaps the initiation ceremony could go on a bit longer. Don't you think, Bella?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, my lord!" Bella said, dropping to her knees, as if she was honored that he was actually speaking to her. "I wholeheartedly agree!"

"May I ask what you are suggesting, my lord?" Severus asked; he had, by this time, risen to his feet, and was staring at him with trepidation in his eyes.

"I am suggesting, my dear Severus, that Cassia prove herself to me on a physical level now. Her loyalties toward me have been extraordinary, and I commend her for it, but, at the end of things, she has not yet been marked."

"My lord, that mark is only for those in our inner circle..." Severus began.

"Yes, Severus, but Cassia is an exemplary addition to our ranks," Voldemort said, cutting him off without looking at him. "And Nagini trusts her."

"No, absolutely not," Severus said, shaking his head, and Voldemort slowly turned to regard him with annoyance. "I refuse to allow this, my lord. Consider Cassia's position at the Ministry of Magic for a moment, my lord. What will her superiors think?"

"You _dare_ question our Dark Lord?!" Bella demanded of him, her dark eyes flashing with sudden rage. "_Never_ question him, Severus, never!"

"Are you going against me, Severus?"

"Never, my lord," Severus said quickly. "I just don't think that..."

"I don't demand you to think, in situations like these," Voldemort growled, lifting his wand then, his eyes flashing. "Crucio," he said through his teeth, and Severus fell to his knees then, the Torture Curse ripping through him.

Severus groaned, trying to find purchase on the floor beneath him, but there was nothing. He couldn't allow Cassia to get marked, he just couldn't...

Cassia felt a trembling wave hit her then, and her eyes fluttered closed.

_"__Crucio__!"_

_Cassia fell to her knees then, tears blinding her vision. No matter how strong she was, she was not made of stone. The curse slashed for her hands, for without them, a witch or wizard was virtually powerless. Cassia let out a gasp then, and shook her head at the thought of never being able to hold her wand again__...__"__Grandpa__!"__ she cried out. __"__Stop__!"_

_"__Crucio__!"__ he merely stated, and the blast intensified._

_Cassia felt her entire body trembling; she needed to stop him. She felt herself weakening then, but she knew that it couldn't end here. "No...please," she begged, but nothing she said was going to sway her grandfather, she saw that now, as the pain licked the surface of her skin, slashing it in a deadly motion.__ "__STOP__!"_

Cassia stared in shock at Severus, lying on the ground, going to bat for her, in an effort to prevent her from getting marked. She remembered how her grandfather had used the same curse upon her, when she was the same age Draco was now, and the very thought made her sick to recollect it. She had lost far too many people in her life and, her heart pounding, she stepped forward then, knowing that she couldn't be too passionate or emotional about this—no, that could come later.

Cassia's eyes snapped open then, and she faced her so-called master head-on. "My lord, may I speak?" she asked and, once he nodded at her, Cassia raised her head high. "I would only be too honored to take the mark, my lord," she said, and knelt before him.

"Cassia, no!" Severus yelled.

"Silence, Severus," Cassia said, glaring at him, her eyes telling him, _You stupid git_, _shut up before everything is ruined_! "My lord," she said, turning back to him and rolling up the sleeve of her black dress, "I accept your mark."

Voldemort's eyes flashed with something akin to dark desire, and he finally stopped cursing Severus and took ahold of Cassia's wrist, yanking her towards him, and pointed his wand at the exposed flesh of her arm. "Morsmordre," he said with a look of triumph, and the mark quickly burned itself into Cassia's skin.

Cassia gasped then, letting out a slight whimper of pain as he released her arm, a lump in her throat as a stiff Severus offered her a Wiggenweld Potion. "N... No," she said then, and pushed the small bottle away from her as she slowly got to her feet. "I've endured worse," she went on, without looking at him as she pulled down her sleeve. "I don't need it."

"You and Draco are excused," Voldemort said then. "Rest."

Cassia put her arm around Draco's shoulder and led him out of there. She brought him upstairs to his bedroom and, once they'd crossed the threshold, the teenager came undone in her arms. "It is all right, Draco..."

"How can it be?" he whispered. "We are marked forever..."

Cassia held him close. "We will find a way, Draco. We'll find a way to adjust, for Merlin's sake, at the very least," she assured him, looking up to see Severus standing, just a few feet away, and began to contemplate how it had come to this.

. . .

The following afternoon, after a restless night's sleep, Cassia, who had called in sick to work the following day, received a letter from an unfamiliar owl. It was short, informing her to come to Spinner's End, via the Floo Network, and it would be open for her. Cassia remembered the name as Severus's childhood home, and she stepped through after a shower and changing into some Muggle attire, a pair of jeans, an oval-neckline T-shirt, and sneakers, just wanting to be someone else for the day.

She came out from the Floo, seeing Severus sitting at the kitchen table, fingers steepled before his thin lips. There was a newspaper on the arm of his chair beside the window in the living room, where he sat, which had obviously been put aside in a hurry. As she stepped closer to the kitchen, she remembered that Wormtail had taken up residence there as well, which had been on Voldemort's orders.

"He's at the manor," Severus said.

"Ah, I see," Cassia replied, moving to sit across from Severus at the kitchen table. She hunched her shoulders slightly then, placing her arms onto the table; the mark burned slightly then as it made contact with the surface of the table, and Cassia winced.

"It wouldn't burn if you had taken the potion," Severus told her.

Cassia fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm sure that's true."

"In fact, you wouldn't be hurt at all, if you hadn't taken it in the first place."

Cassia gritted her teeth. "I couldn't just stand by and let him do that to you," she told him, her voice trembling slightly. "Maybe the others could, but I couldn't."

Severus scoffed. "If you were a Gryffindor, you would have screamed down the entire manor, demanding him to stop."

"Perhaps I'm less of a Gryffindor than you think, Severus," she replied, lowering her eyes before she became lost in the black pools of Severus's.

"Perhaps you are," he allowed.

Cassia swallowed. "Look, I don't understand why you called me here," she said softly. "You're lucky your owl showed up at the manor. I didn't go into work today."

"No?" Severus asked.

"No," Cassia replied, shaking her head. "I couldn't sleep last night, nor could I get this thing to stop smarting," she said, and smacked her arm, letting out a gasp at how much it hurt.

"Dammit, Cassia," Severus said, launching to his feet, and summoning something from the next room. The bottle he caught a moment later seemed to be filled with a thick, orange paste, which Cassia recognized as burn-healing paste. Severus ignored the gasp that escaped through her lips as he took ahold of her arm, and rolled up her sleeve, exposing the mark, which was red along each angle, quite like a Muggle tattoo would be. Severus's eyes looked saddened as he rubbed the paste onto Cassia's arm then, which quickly soothed the intense burning that she had been feeling the night before. "Better?" he asked.

Cassia snapped out of the reverie that she had been in, at the feeling of Severus's fingers tracing along her skin. "Yes," she whispered.

Severus banished the bottle and put a Cleaning Charm on his hands, still staring down at Cassia for a few moments. "Why did you do it?"

Cassia blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Why didn't you just let me take the Crucio?" he asked. "I don't understand. You could've let me take the punishment long enough, and then he would've forgotten, and the others would've been too engrossed in what was happening to me to care..."

Cassia shook her head at him, pulling her arm from its grip in the potion master's fingers. "I think you know that that's not how I operate, Severus."

"Well, forgive me for assuming that you wouldn't give a rat's arse about me."

Cassia shot to her feet, and rolled up her other sleeve, exposing the Cruciatus scares that still lingered there. "_This_ is one of the reasons why I couldn't have him keep doing what he was doing to you, Severus!" she shouted. "Look at them! I was Draco's age now when I got these! It may seem like a long time ago for you, but for me, it wasn't! When I saw you lying there on the floor of Malfoy Manor, all I could think of was how much that curse had hurt me, and how much more it could potentially hurt you, due to _his_ power!"

"So, you thought of yourself?" Severus asked.

"I _empathized_ with you, you asshole!" Cassia cried out, her voice cracking at the end. "You obviously don't know me at all!" she yelled, and moved to leave the kitchen.

"Forgive me for wanting an explanation about why you altered the course of your life forever by taking this!" Severus shouted, walking into the living room behind her, and taking ahold of her arm, and was relieved to find that the cream had dried.

Cassia whirled around to face him then, and found that she was face-to-face with him, but she refused to back down. "I did it because I fucking love you, Severus Tobias Snape!" she said then, her voice fervent. "No matter what you do, or who you are, or what's happening either in or out of the Wizarding World, I will always, _always_ love you. I love you, and when I saw him using that curse on you, I made a choice, a sacrifice, because the notion of you being hurt literally kills me every time I see it happen. I don't care if you can't love me anymore—I just needed you to know how I felt, because I can't stand it—"

Severus launched himself towards Cassia then, yanking her into his arms and pressing his mouth immediately to hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered between kisses. "I'm so sorry..."

"Give me what you can, Severus," she whispered. "Just give me all you can. That's all I want from you—all that you can give."

He gazed down at the young witch in his arms, his eyes black pools of heady desire. "I want to give you everything, Cassia," Severus replied.

Cassia smiled up at him. "If that's what you can give me, then it shall be done."

Severus lifted Cassia up then, taking her towards the stairs, but was shocked when Cassia stopped him from doing so. He smirked to himself as she slammed him up against one of his many bookshelves, capturing his lips with hers, and let out a small mewl of surprise when he flipped her around, yanking her legs around his torso. "What do you want, Cassia?" Severus whispered to her.

"You," she whispered, cupping his face in her hands. "I want you, Severus. Always."

. . .

"What was so pressing?" Cassia asked, stepping through Severus's Floo, on the night of the welcoming feast, a slight gasp escaping her lips as he caught her around the waist, and pressed his lips to hers. "Severus, really, it's been a day..."

"Didn't stop you at Spinner's End," Severus replied, his tone husky as he held her flush against him, reluctant to let her go. "A new professor is on staff tonight, and Albus has asked me to invite you to the feast to meet him."

Cassia giggled. "Ah, yes, the dreaded Defense Against the Dark Arts professor..."

Severus cocked an eyebrow then. "What if I told you that you were in his arms?"

Cassia pulled back then, looking Severus up and down. "I... What? Albus finally gave you the position?" she asked.

"He did," Severus confirmed. "The former potions professor, Horace Slughorn, is set to formally join the staff tonight."

"Slughorn?" Cassia whispered. "Professor Barrows mentioned him more than once when we were in potions at Ilvermorny. He was a Slytherin, wasn't he?"

"He is, but only because he likes to collect students."

Cassia blinked. "_Collect_ students?"

"Yes. Gives them decent grades and allows them into his Slug Club, usually if they have powerful parents, or well-connected families. Then, when the wizard graduates and does well in the Wizarding World, he can ask them for favors. Rumor has it that he's very close with Gwenog Jones, now that she's made Captain of the Holyhead Harpies."

Cassia grimaced. "She broke it off with Everest last summer. Poor thing," she said, laying her head on Severus's chest. "That man cannot seem to catch a break..."

Severus's arms tightened around Cassia then. "You're mine."

Cassia chuckled. "I think we've established that, Severus. Besides, I'm marked," she said, her voice lowering slightly. "Not many people would want me around, if they knew that particular tidbit of information..."

"Does Albus know yet?"

Cassia shook her head, lifting her head back up so as she could meet Severus's eyes. "No. I was going to tell him soon, so it may as well be tonight."

"We'll go after the feast. I shall accompany you," Severus told her.

Cassia smiled then, standing on her toes so that she could kiss him. "Thank you," she said, and felt her heart skipping a beat when he pulled her against him again.

Cassia accompanied Severus into the Great Hall, and Albus, Minerva, and Filius were most pleased to see her. She felt a slight smarting of pain flowing through her still, and had felt something since she had walked through the Floo to Severus's rooms. Cassia forced a smile onto her face as Albus conjured a chair for her, positioned it between Severus and Horace Slughorn, and Cassia sat once she was given permission to do so. She peered through the Great Hall then, catching sight of the Gryffindor table, and noticing that Ron and Hermione were sitting together, and Ginny and her new boyfriend, Dean Thomas, were on the other side of the table. It was when Hermione proceeded to knock a rather large tome she was holding onto Ron's arm—Ron, meanwhile, had already started on dessert—and yelled at him, that Harry walked into the Great Hall alone, a cloth upon his nose, and it was filled with blood.

"That explains it," Cassia whispered.

"What does?" Severus whispered back.

Cassia swallowed, and ran her hand over her chest, briefly enough that Severus seemed to be the only one to noticed. "It was hurting when I arrived," she whispered. She shut her eyes then, trying to figure out what had happened, and heard a crunching sound, plus of flash of white-blond hair, before the vision ended and her eyes snapped open. "Dammit, Draco. That's not the way to handle your differences..."

"Your suspicions were correct, then?" Severus wanted to know.

Cassia gave a stiff nod. "Yes, unfortunately. It seems Draco _does_ blame Harry for Lucius getting locked up. Of course, if anyone's to blame, it's me..."

"Don't think like that," Severus replied, clutching at Cassia's hand beneath the table, as some roast chicken and potatoes found their way onto her plate. He ran the pad of his thumb over her knuckles, and whispered, "You're so fucking powerful, it's sexy."

Cassia gritted her teeth, preventing her face from flushing—barely. "Keep talking like that, and I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

Severus, his expression impassive, swung an open-palmed hand behind Cassia, and smacked her on her backside, causing her to make a grab for her wine goblet, which she quickly tapped to change to Gillywater, and sipped carefully, but could not drown out the mewl. "Do control yourself, Serbus," Severus said, rolling his eyes.

"Now, Severus, you're lucky I'm not your Head of House anymore," Horace said with a gentle chuckle, before turning his attention onto Cassia. "Now, my dear, Albus tells me you're one of the youngest Aurors in the department."

Cassia nodded, swallowing down her drink and returning her goblet to the table. "Yes, sir. It's me and Nymphadora Tonks."

"Fascinating," he said, peering closer. "And, quite clearly, you're an American. I do love Americans," he went on with a slight chuckle. "You're a Half-Blood, yes?"

"Yes, sir, my father is a No-Maj and my mother is a Pure-Blood."

"Call me 'Horace', dear," replied the new potions professor as he cut into his after-dinner toffee and popped a piece into his mouth. "What is it your father does?"

"He's a lumber baron, Horace."

Horace turned to Cassia, sucking on the bit of toffee. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Pure-Blood and all," he said with a shrug.

"He owns a company that cuts down trees, and then sells the trees and wood to various companies, like furniture makers or construction workers. Construction workers make buildings in the No-Maj world," she told him patiently.

"That's amazing," Horace said, truly fascinated. "And you have other siblings?"

"Yes, my father had two sons from his first marriage, Noah and Liam. They're No-Maj's as well, and they're set to take over the company. And then there's my younger brother, Edgar Serbus, who graduated from Ilvermorny been a Beater for the American National Quidditch Team for a little over two years."

"Ah, I do love a Quidditch match," Horace said with delight. "Do you play, my dear?"

"Never played, no," Cassia said, shaking her head. "I do like to fly, however. I got an Air Wave Gold during my year here, in my final year of education. It's one of my prized possessions, and I love it, although I'd have to say I prefer my familiar, Amara, over it, and my children, over Amara," she said with a laugh.

"Ah, you have children, my dear?"

"Yes. My twins, Sebastian and Circe. They'll be five at the end of the month, and they've already begun primary school."

"Have they already showed signs of magic?"

"Far too much, if you ask me," Cassia told him. "Sebastian's always making up spells and Circe, bless her, can even fly on her own," she went on, and nearly laughed aloud when Severus choked on his goblet of Firewhiskey. "It is an inherited trait, I believe, the flying, one that Circe must have picked up from her father."

"Is their father your husband?"

"No, I'm afraid not," she replied with a shrug. "We told many people that we were married, but it was in name only. He unfortunately passed away within weeks of the ceremony, and it was shortly thereafter that I discovered my pregnancy. But, it's all right. Tonks, who is my dear friend and fellow Auror, lives at my manor with me, along with my house-elf, Perry. She is truly a delight, and adores the twins."

"And what about you, Cassia?" Horace asked. "Are you fond of potions?"

Cassia had to laugh when Severus dragged her from the Great Hall, via the professor's entrance, once it had cleared. He took her along the back hallways of the castle, and, upon reaching the hallway that housed the entrance of Albus's office, Severus pulled Cassia into an abandoned classroom, and warded the door behind them. "What are you—?" she demanded, but was unexpectedly slammed against the wall, and her mouth possessed by invasive lips. "Severus, you wickedly wonderful wizard," came her throaty whisper then, as she felt her entire body going limp.

Severus smirked against her lips. "I'm sorry... You were just so polite to Slughorn that I wanted and needed you..."

Cassia laughed. "Well, we'll be quick then," she whispered, unzipping his trousers in the darkness around them, as well as her own, spreading herself wide so that Severus's entering her was hasty and amazing, and she felt her eyes rolling back in her head as she braced her hands against his shoulders. "Oh, my..."

"Yes?" Severus asked.

Cassia bit down on her lower lip. "This isn't the first time that we've made love against this wall, is it?" she asked.

Severus grinned. "No, it is not."

"Won't be the last time, either, I daresay," Cassia managed to get out, as Severus's lips found hers again in the darkness.

Once Severus and Cassia had finished and casted the necessary Cleaning Spells, they left the classroom and slipped towards the gargoyle, who gave them a rather bemused expression. Cassia then found herself laughing at the creature; the notion that it, too seemed to understand the goings-on of the castle was truly enthralling to her, and even Severus could not completely suppress a smile at Cassia's amusement.

"Licorice Snap," Cassia managed to get out between bursts of laughter, and the gargoyle seemed to sigh before jumping out of the way.

Cassia and Severus went up the staircase and into the headmaster's office, the door promptly opening for the two of them. Stepping inside, Cassia immediately crossed over to Fawkes, whom she had not seem in quite some time, and smiled to herself when the phoenix dipped his head to be petted. Cassia gently stroked the feathers, while Severus rolled his eyes at the display, and Cassia glared at him.

"He only likes Gryffindors," he sneered.

"Now, now, Severus, surely you know that's not true," Albus said with mock-firmness as he drifted into the room.

Cassia turned to greet him then, and immediately drew back. "Albus!" she shouted then, her voice trembling, as she reached out, grabbing onto it. "Your hand!"

Cassia took ahold of the withered looking thing into her hand, and shut her eyes, seeing Albus putting on a ring, and a curse attacking at his hand. Cassia stumbled backwards as the images left her mind, and Severus promptly caught her. She was breathing heavily then, and she shook her head, knowing full well what it meant.

"You... You're dying," she whispered, her voice trembling, and she felt Severus stiffening behind her at her words, but her lover said nothing.

"I am afraid it had to happen at some point, my dear girl," Albus replied, moving towards the throne behind his desk, and sat upon it. He hesitated for a moment before he allowed himself to speak again. "Cassia, I wonder if you've heard of Horcruxes?"

Cassia swallowed, moving to sit in one of the offered chairs, and Severus moved to sit beside her. "Of course I have, unfortunately," she replied. "Grandpa absolutely loved researching all the Dark Magic he could; Uncle Leonardo, too. Both of them indoctrinated my cousins, Francesco and Alessandro, into the realm of Dark Magic and other artifacts from the time the both of them could read.

"And you and your brother Edgar?"

Cassia sighed. "We were forced to read about them, yes," she said, a shudder coming up her spine at the memories. She shut her eyes then, willing something out of her that she had not permitted in many years, before she got to her feet again, she lifted up her Auror robes and the blouse she wore beneath them, showcasing the lashes on her back which she kept concealed via a rather complex Disillusionment Charm, from the time she was a girl. "This, unfortunately, is what happened if you resisted the Dark Magic teachings."

"I've never seen those before, Cassia," Severus replied as Cassia adjusted her robe and blouse back around her, and returned to her chair.

"I know, Severus, and I'm sorry, but there are some scars that take time to heal. These... I'm not sure they ever will..."

"I am so pleased to see that the two of you have found each other again," Albus said warmly from across his desk, and Severus took Cassia's hand protectively. "I ask you about Horcruxes, Cassia, because my time is limited, and I want you to know all you can, before my untimely demise, sometime in the next year."

Cassia swallowed. "Of course, Albus."

"Now, then, the Horcruxes," Albus said softly. "We've no idea how many there are, and they could be anywhere. Two have been destroyed thus far—Tom Riddle's diary in the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry was a second-year, and now, the ring," Albus went on, opening the drawer of his desk, and levitating both the diary and the ring out onto its surface. "If you have any thoughts about them, Cassia, feel free to let me know."

"Clearly, they are all connected in some way to him," she said quietly. "One is his diary from his teenaged years, when he was becoming the Dark Lord. Then, with the ring, the life he would have chosen for himself. The others, I think, must have to do with Hogwarts in some way, but, unfortunately, I don't know much about the school."

Albus nodded. "That is very helpful, Cassia, thank you," he said, and returned the diary and the ring into his desk. "Now then, it appears as though you and Severus wished to see me about something this evening."

Cassia swallowed then, squeezing Severus's hand before she let it go, and raised her right arm, and rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. She felt the tears upon her lashes as Albus took in the sight of the Dark Mark upon her milk-white skin, and felt as if she had let him down, as she slowly lowered her arm and covered it. "I'm sorry," she whispered then, her voice trembling as she spoke. "It had to be done. We always knew this was a possibility."

Albus gave a short nod. "Under what circumstances was this done?"

"Draco was marked first," Cassia said softly, recalling Draco's face, two nights before, although it seemed like a lifetime ago now. "Voldemort believed that I should prove my loyalty to him by getting marked as well. Severus, he..."

"I refused to allow it," Severus replied simply, and Albus's eyes turned to him. "I told the Dark Lord not to mark her, due to her position as an Auror, but he refused to listen. So, I was punished via the Cruciatus Curse."

"I couldn't let that happen," Cassia whispered, feeling the tears suspended on her lashes. "I... All I could do was accept. I needed to accept, Albus. Otherwise, I could have been dead, and my link to Harry would have been destroyed. I didn't want to be a coward anymore, so I took the risk, and even though it could be permanent, I know I did the right thing."

Albus sighed. "I am so sorry I put you at risk, Cassia."

"Albus, it's not your fault," she told him. "We had no idea how strong my feelings for Severus would turn out to be. I love him, and you never planned on this—any of it. From where I'm sitting, everything has a purpose in life. Now, we just have to continue on to figure out what our ultimate purpose is."

. . .

"The Slug Club?" Cassia asked, forcing a smile to her lips at the comical nickname.

"Yes, Cassia," Horace replied patiently, his gray eyes filled with momentary excitement. "I've been in contact with my dear old friend, Zahra Barrows, the potions professor at Ilvermorny. It seems that you were a great favorite of hers. She mentioned that you and your friend, Samantha Willows, successfully brewed an Animagus potion your fourth-year."

"Yes, we did," Cassia replied, smiling at the memory. "I am a bobcat, a large cat native to Washington State, where I'm from originally. It's the same as my Patronus."

"Fascinating," Horace replied. "Zahra has never steered me wrong when it comes to all matters potions, Cassia. I would be delighted if you joined my Slug Club as an honorary member. I am also told that you were a member of Zahra's little organization, Barrows Board."

"Yes, I was," Cassia said. "Provided an escape and a distraction, if you will, from a less-than-savory home life," she said, and forced another smile onto her lips. "I am very flattered that you've asked me, Horace. I accept."

"Wonderful," Horace said, his expression slightly perturbed at Cassia's mention of her home life, but decided not to press the young witch. "Our annual Christmas celebrations will be on the twentieth of December, and your appearance would be most welcome. Oh, and Cassia," Horace went on as he drifted down the corridor, "do feel free to bring a plus-one."

Cassia nodded, raising her hand to his before she slipped into the Great Hall and made her way towards the massive hearth, utilizing the Floo Network in a hasty manner. She ended up in Albus's office, and the headmaster set down the paperwork he had been looking over and regarded his visitor with a twinkle in his blue eyes. "It's done."

"Done, my dear?"

"Horace has made his intentions to collect me known," she said with a sigh. "I do suppose a quick owl was sent to Zahra about our previous connection?"

Albus smiled. "Forgive an old man for wanting things a certain way, my dear."

Cassia swallowed, gripping the back of the visitors' chair. "I don't like this, Albus," Cassia admitted then, nodding in the direction of his hand, still deep gray in the curse. "Is there no other way to remedy it?"

"I'm afraid not," Albus replied with a sad smile. "Severus has created a potion for me that will limit the curse to my hand, and, although the curse itself is painful, this makes it bearable, and I will be able to hold on for a bit longer."

Cassia shut her eyes then, seeing Hogwarts in a perpetual state of blacks and grays, all happiness taken from its students, who walked the corridors in neat, single-file lines, reminding Cassia of the Second World War. Her eyes snapped open then, and she whispered in a shaking voice at her former headmaster, "Dark times are coming..."

Albus nodded. "Yes, my dear. I know."

"Then why can we not do something to stop them?" she cried out.

Albus sighed. "It's the darkest before the dawn, my girl," he replied, his brow furrowing slightly then with worry. He leaned forward then, and deliberately lowered his voice. "How secure is your mind against him?" he whispered.

"The Dark Lord?" Cassia asked and, at Albus's nod, sighed. "Severus was able to conjure false memories and some walls in my mind, thus preventing him from figuring out my mission. Why do you ask?"

"I am drawing up my will," Albus replied, "and I will be leaving you something."

Cassia shook her head. "You don't need to do that, Albus..."

"I want to, my dear, because what I have to give you is far too precious, and I know that, when the time comes, you will need it."

Cassia swallowed. "I don't want to know," she whispered. "Allow me to keep my mind safe from the Dark Lord for the time being, Albus. I shall find out when I find out."

Albus nodded, understanding Cassia's decision. "Very well, my girl," he said. "I think Severus has been wanting to see you."

Cassia sighed, her shoulders deflating. "Yes. I have been wanting that as well," she whispered, before raising her hand to the headmaster and grabbing a handful of Floo Powder, before she vanished from his office.

. . .

Cassia did her best to straighten her close-fitting green velvet dress with short sleeves for the thousandth time as she stood in the corner of the Christmas Slug party. She adored the dress, but had to wear many Disillusionment Charms to hide her slightly exposed back from the whip scars, as well as her arm, which housed the Dark Mark. The dress also had a rather deep oval neckline, so much so that some of the older students were staring openly at her, and Cassia flushed and looked away, nursing her glass of mulled wine. It was appalling, to say the least, when she saw Hermione in a compromising position with Cormac McLaggen—whom Cassia had remembered as a little scamp of a first-year during her one year at Hogwarts—where young Cormac was currently fondling the poor girl.

Cassia felt relieved that Albus had put her in the role of a chaperone, and also told her that she had the authority to take house points or assign detentions to people who got out of hand. She levitated her glass of mulled wine across the room—it hadn't been doing anything for her, anyhow—and came upon the two of them. "Cormac!" she said sharply, and the blond-haired boy immediately lowered his arms from where they had been mauling Hermione. "You've just bought yourself a months' detention for assault. Leave. Now," she said, and the young man quickly made his exit. "You all right?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and threw her arms around Cassia. "I... I'm f-fine," she said, her voice trembling. "I meant to leave him under the mistletoe," she said, before getting ahold of herself and straightening out her knee-length pink dress.

Cassia swallowed, smiling at the notion that the bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion that the young witch had asked her to pick up for her had obviously been used well. "Why did you come here with him, anyway?" she asked, gently straightening out the straps of her dress.

Hermione sighed, her thin shoulders falling with the movement. "It wasn't... I thought it would annoy Ron the most," she admitted.

Cassia clenched her teeth, remembering the notes from both Harry and Ginny of late, informing her of Ron's changed personality in the wake of his spontaneous romance with fellow sixth-year Gryffindor Lavender Brown, a softly pretty girl with a strong liking for Divination, and referring to her new boyfriend as 'Won-Won'. "Yes, Harry and Ginny had mentioned... The recent developments regarding my brother," she said with a slight shake of her head.

Hermione sighed, her brown eyes filling with sadness. "I thought, after the Department of Mysteries that things would be different. I spent all last summer at the Burrow—I remember you bringing the twins, and how lovely that was—but I thought that Ron and I were finally paving the way to be together..."

Cassia reached out then, gently squeezing Hermione's arm as they looked around the party and the couples. Harry was dancing with Luna, his date for the evening, while staring at Ginny, who was still with her boyfriend, Dean Thomas, but was staring at Harry as well. "I know how that feels, 'Mione, more than you know," she told her, softly.

Hermione blinked, waiting for Cassia to turn back and look at her. "What do you mean?" she asked, her tone one of confusion.

Cassia swallowed, turning to see Luna and Harry leaving the dancefloor, with Luna going to the window to watch the snow falling, while Harry found himself wrapped up in a conversation with Severus, who was also chaperoning that evening. "The man I love, who I've been with, off and on, for quite some time... He cannot bring himself to get over his first love, so there is... Lacking, in our relationship," she admitted.

Hermione's brows knit together. "Not Everest, then?" she asked.

Cassia shook her head. "No. That was over quite some time ago."

"And not Sirius," she said, and squeezed Cassia's arm, and Cassia smiled down at her, willing herself not to become upset. "This must be the father of your children, then?"

Cassia gave a stiff nod. "Yes."

Hermione swallowed. "Who...?"

There was the sound of a door opening then, and Filch was hauling Draco into the party in the following moment.

"Get off me, you filthy Squib!" Draco shouted.

"I found this one outside!" Filch reported to Horace, who was watching the exchange in a moment of shock. "He says he's been invited to your party!"

"Fine!" Draco said, in a tone filled with annoyance. "I was gate-crashing, all right?!"

"Filch, everything's all right," Horace said, obviously attempting to diffuse the situation around him, and not wanting to disturb his actual guests. "It is the holidays, after all..."

"Never mind, Horace," Severus said, after leaving Harry's side in a hurry, and moving to stand before Draco. "I can escort Mr. Malfoy out."

Draco yanked himself away from Filch then, and gave Severus a sardonic expression. "Brilliant," he declared, his tone indicating anything but. "Professor," he added, with a sneer.

Cassia watched as they left, and then gave Hermione an apologetic look. "Excuse me," she said, and the young witch nodded, as Cassia slipped away from her. "Harry," Cassia whispered as she approached the wizard, who quickly greeted her with a hug. "Get out there and listen to them, and, whatever you do, don't get caught," she whispered to him, mid-embrace.

Harry pulled back from her, but, once he got a good look at Cassia's expression, gave her a nod and went out into the corridor.

Cassia swallowed then, moving to follow a moment later, when she was sure that nobody was watching her movements. Once she was far enough away from the door to Horace's classroom, Cassia casted a quick Notice-Me-Not Charm, and then transformed into her bobcat form, as she made her way silently along the corridor, hugging the wall for good measure. She hid in the shadows as Severus and Draco walked down the hallway.

"Maybe I did hex that Bell girl, maybe I didn't," Draco hissed through gritted teeth, and Cassia remembered her recent assignment at St. Mungo's, regarding a cursed necklace, and how shocked she had been to see Katie lying in the bed.

Severus, without hesitation, slammed Draco to the wall, glaring down at the boy. "I _swore_ to protect you!" he said through gritted teeth. "I made the Unbreakable Vow."

Cassia felt her breath catch in her throat then at the words, knowing full well that that meant, and she was a mixed bag of emotions.

"I don't need protection!" Draco shot back. "I was chosen for this! I don't know what all this means, but I _won_'_t_ fail him!"

"You're afraid, Draco," Severus declared. "You attempt to consider, but it's obvious, let me assist you."

"No!" Draco said, pulling himself away from Severus at last with fire in his silver eyes. "I was chosen! This is my moment!"

Cassia sighed, undoing the charm on herself and reverting back to her human form before she stepped out of the shadows. "Severus," she said, trying to remain firm, but feeling herself coming undone.

Draco turned and regarded Cassia then, and looked even more fearful. "Cassia..."

Cassia didn't even bother looking at Draco; she could only stare at Severus. "Merlin... What have you done?" she whispered to him then, and turned on her heel then. Cassia broke out into a run, only partially hearing Severus calling after her as she ran down the stairs and into the dungeons. She felt relieved when the wards automatically let her into his rooms and, once she crossed the threshold, the door slammed mechanically behind her. She let out a scream then, one that could not be contained, and felt her magic crash to the surface of her skin, and she heard things exploding all around her, and she just couldn't stop.

"Cassia!"

The sharp tone caught her off-guard the, and she slowly turned around, feeling the tears streaking down her face as she stared at Severus. She trembled then as he stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around herself, almost as if she wanted a shield.

"You... You're afraid of me?" Severus whispered.

"You entered into an Unbreakable Vow," Cassia whispered, her voice shaking.

"It was a figure of speech..."

"No! Don't say that!" Cassia cried out. "I could tell by Draco's expression that it was the truth, Severus! Don't lie to me, not now!"

Severus sighed, lifting his arm then and setting his room to rights, knowing he would have to spend the rest of the holidays brewing in order to remedy the potions bottles that Cassia had smashed with her accidental magic. The shattered mirror was another matter, as were the torn furniture cushions, and the black paint peeling off the walls, which were all remedied with a simple motion of his arm. "You're right."

Cassia blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I _did_ enter into an Unbreakable Vow," Severus replied. "But I cannot share any information further, Cassia, for the Dark Lord has not let you in on his plan."

"He shouldn't trust me," Cassia said bitterly.

Severus's mouth thinned then. "He shouldn't trust either of us."

Cassia looked away from Severus then, and shook his head. "No, I mean he shouldn't trust me because of what I am..."

Severus blinked. "What you are?"

"A Parseltongue, a Siren, and someone involved in a Spirit Bond with his greatest enemy, one who cannot live unless the other dies..."

Severus stiffened. "We knew about the Spirit Bond, Cassia—well, I do, and Albus, and Potter, of course, know about it..."

Cassia stepped forward then, pressing a hand to her heart then, and whispered, "Finite," and pulled down the top portion of her dress then, and Severus stared at the thunderbolt, which was still carved into her chest. "We are linked, Severus, physically now. And... And my mind is not as impenetrable as we thought..."

"How do you mean?" Severus whispered, looking fearful.

Cassia bit down hard on her lower lip. "At the Department of Mysteries, when Harry was possessed by _him_," she whispered, "Nagini entered my mind."

Severus's eyes widened then. "No!"

"Yes," Cassia whispered. "I was there, and I even cried out, begging her to get out, but she just spoke for me..." She swallowed. "It felt like I was possessed, writhing there on the floor of the Ministry of Magic..."

Severus reached out and yanked Cassia into his arms. "You are not possessed," he whispered to her, making no moves to let her go. "We'll... We'll figure something out..."

"I signed up for this, Severus, knowing that anything could be a possibility," Cassia whispered back to him, tracing her fingertip along her Dark Mark, now visible again. "I'll never forgive myself for not doing something sooner..."

"You didn't have to take it for me..."

Cassia looked up at him. "Yes, I did," she whispered, and Severus hesitated for a moment, before he pressed his lips to hers.

. . .

In the interim of the Christmas holidays, in which Cassia had taken Ginny aside at the Burrow, and told her that she really should be honest with everyone involved about her feelings for Harry, Cassia felt exhausted. Hermione was absent that year, protesting Ron's involvement with Lavender Brown, which Cassia didn't blame her for. Harry was also distant towards her, in the wake of him realizing that there was more to her relationship with Severus than what met the eye, but Cassia kept tight-lipped about it.

On the final day of the year, she had just put the twins down for a nap and headed down into the living room. Her Floo was open, in case any holiday visitors wanted to come through, and she set to work picking up the place. Tonks was over at her parents' house until the following evening, and Perry was visiting Dobby at Hogwarts until then as well. Once Cassia tidied up the last of Sebastian's charms books and Circe's potion manuals, her Apparition Wards flared, and she crossed to the front door and opened it.

"Minister," she said, her voice filled with surprise as Rufus Scrimgeour crossed the moor outside the ward and walked through as if it was nothing, and came up onto the porch.

"How are your holidays, Auror Serbus?"

"Very well, thank you. And Cassia is just fine," Cassia told him, accepting his handshake. "Do come in."

"Thank you. And do call me Rufus," the minister replied, crossing the threshold and stepping into the living room.

"Tea?" she asked. "My house-elf is visiting family at Hogwarts, but I've been able to make a cup of tea since I was a child."

"Yes, thank you," Scrimgeour replied, and moved to make himself at home.

Cassia nodded, slipping into the kitchen and gathering up tea things. The kettle boiled after a simple Heating Charm, and she put together a tea tray with a small pitcher of milk and a bowl of sugar as well. The cups, saucers, and spoons soon joined the other tea-making implements, along with some of Molly's Christmas butter biscuits, and she levitated the tray flawlessly and set it down onto the coffee table.

"Thank you," said the man opposite Cassia, and tucked into a cup of the hot beverage and a biscuit, which he chewed rather loudly.

"How may I help you, Rufus?" she asked.

The minister nodded, dusting off his hands for offending crumbs before taking another sip of tea and returning the cup onto the tray. "I've come here with a question, Cassia. I want to know if you are truly close to Harry Potter."

Cassia blinked. "Oh, Harry," she said with a smile. "He has been quite like a brother to me from the time he was twelve."

Scrimgeour nodded, as if he was pleased with the information. "That's very good to know, Cassia. And does he share this sibling bond with you?"

Cassia felt her thunderbolt flare slightly then, but she did her best not to react to it. "Her certainly acts like it, yes."

"So, you would say he takes your advice?"

"Yes, as I do his," Cassia replied, her brows knitting together. "What's this about?"

"I went to see young Mr. Potter at the Burrow a few days previously," he replied, taking another biscuit with a flourish. "He was not very receptive."

Cassia blinked. "Well, it all depends on what you're asking him to be receptive to, Rufus. Harry does not suffer fools lightly."

"A shared trait, I presume?"

Cassia nodded. "You'd be correct in that assumption, yes."

Scrimgeour banished the biscuit he had been eating and rested his hands on his legs. "He did not consent to being the ministry's poster boy."

Cassia felt herself going rigid. "You _actually_ asked him to be?!" she demanded. "Are you completely insane?!"

Scrimgeour raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'm aware of."

"He supports Dumbledore, Rufus," Cassia said, gritting her teeth. "He also dislikes his fame, so he wouldn't consent to being your little puppet." She hesitated for a moment. "If you've come here for the purpose of asking me to recruit him, or attempt to make it see it your way, then, I'm afraid, you're speaking to the wrong witch, for I, just as much as Harry Potter, support Albus Dumbledore, and will do so until my dying breath."

Scrimgeour looked ashen then. "And, there is nothing I might do to change your mind then, in his matter, Cassia?"

Cassia shook her head. "There is nothing, Rufus, no."

Scrimgeour got to his feet in a stiff manner, and stared down at her. "I am the Minister for Magic, and, if I had a mind to, I could make your life a living hell."

Cassia slowly rose to her feet then, glaring at him. "You will not threaten me in my own house, minister or no," she said firmly to him then.

"I could still do it," he told her.

Cassia shook her head with a bitter smile. "Good luck, minister," she told him.

"I like to think I have that," he replied. "Prepare for the worst."

Cassia clenched her jaw. "I've had it at its worst. I'm prepared."

"See you in the games, then, Cassia," Scrimgeour said, before vanishing with a pop.


	16. Lost and Gone Forever

Cassia responded to Albus's Patronus the moment it came through, and dashed into the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She hadn't been to the school in nearly two months, after a disastrous surprise birthday celebration for Severus, in which she had gotten the house-elves to make them a romantic dinner for two in his private chambers. Of course, after it had been made known to him, it had escalated into an argument on whether or not the age difference was too much, prompting Cassia to leave and not see Severus much, apart from a couple of Death Eaters meetings throughout January and February.

Cassia left the Great Hall and moved promptly into the hospital wing, where she had been summoned, and saw Albus waiting just inside the doors for her. "Albus, what's happened?" she whispered. "Your Patronus just said it was urgent..."

Albus nodded. "Mr. Weasley ate some love potion chocolates intended from Mr. Potter, and so young Mr. Potter called upon Horace, who inadvertently gave him some poisoned mead in the wake of curing Mr. Weasley."

Cassia let out a shuddering breath, knowing full well where Horace had got the mead, and Albus smiled at her, reading her thoughts. "And... How is Ron?" she asked.

"Sleeping it off," Albus confirmed. "Harry gave him some bezoar, which managed to quell the effects of the poison."

Cassia sighed in relief. "Good to know," she said, looking down the line of beds, and spotting one which had screens up around it. "Can I see him?"

"By all means, my dear girl," Albus said, spreading his hand.

Cassia smiled. "Thank you," she said, and moved down the lanes of beds, seeing Ron lying in one, with Ginny on one side, and Hermione and Harry on the other. "How's his sleep?" she asked, and Ginny launched to her feet and threw her arms around her. "Albus sent for me; with Mum and Dad in Romania, and Bill and Fleur planning the wedding, they thought it would be appropriate for me to come..."

"Not like Percy can be bothered to take time off work, and the twins' business is booming so much as it is," Ginny said quietly as she clung to Cassia.

"Thought they were hiring help," Hermione asked, getting to her feet and smiling at Cassia, and moved to embrace her, maneuvering herself so that she could hold onto her and not inadvertently knock Ginny from her arms.

"Lee Jordan expressed an interest over the holidays, so hopefully something will happen along those lines," Ginny replied.

"How _can_ you hug her?!" Harry suddenly demanded, launching to his feet then, his green eyes flaring with anger.

Hermione tore herself from Cassia's arms then, glaring at Harry. "I thought we'd discussed this and agreed," said the witch through gritted teeth, "that it was none of our business—"

"No!" Harry shouted, casting a Silencing Charm to prevent Poppy from coming out of her inner office and scolding the lot of them. "She's _with_ him, 'Mione!"

Ginny's eyes flashed then, and she stood protectively in front of Harry. "No matter what's going on here," she said, waving her hand between them, "it'll stop right now if you don't shut your mouth about my sister," she told him, her voice firm.

Harry looked stricken at the words, and moved to say more, before all of their eyes snapped to Ron, who was speaking in his sleep.

"Her...my...knee," he mumbled then, and they all craned closer to listen. "Her...myknee," he kept going, until the sounds formed a complete word. "Hermione..."

Hermione left Cassia's side immediately then, and seemed to almost knock Harry out of the way as she moved to the side of Ron's bed, and clasped his hand in hers.

"About time, don't you think?" Ginny asked softly, before she slipped out of the hospital wing with a slight smile at the scene.

Cassia sighed, walking towards Harry and gripped him on the arm, propelling him out of there and narrowing her eyes at him. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'll always be there for you?" she asked.

Harry's jaw set then, his shoulders stiffening. "How can you be with him?"

"I'm not with anybody, Harry," Cassia told him firmly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't believe you."

Cassia swallowed. "There are certain things that you really shouldn't know."

"_Stop_ keeping me in the dark, Cassia!" Harry yelled out. "Dumbledore did that all last year, and he said it was for my own safety—"

"You have a mind link to _him_, Harry!" Cassia hissed then, deliberately lowering her voice, her eyes narrowing. "And I've got one to his familiar. Don't you know that this, our lives, right here, right now, are dangerous, and hang in a balance?"

"I'm not immune to it, Cassia."

Cassia sighed. "I never said you were, Harry."

"Then stop thinking that I'm too weak to handle all of this! I'm not weak!"

Cassia opened up her mouth to say something when Severus walked down the corridor from the other direction, carrying a bottle in his hands, one that she knew to have, at one time or another, contained mead. Cassia felt a lump forming in her throat then as their eyes met for half a moment, and he stoically walked away then, and she shuddered, turning her gaze back to rest upon Harry. "What?" she whispered.

"You're _protecting_ him!" Harry yelled.

Cassia sighed. "The only person I'm protecting is you, Harry."

"Then why won't you tell me if you know something?" he whispered. "We know he hexed Katie Bell with that necklace before Christmas, and now he's done it again to Ron with the mead. Both were supposed to be gifts for Dumbledore, I know it."

"Harry, I know your heart is in the right place, but you cannot go around accusing people just because they're in Slytherin with ties to You-Know-Who," Cassia said plainly.

Harry's green eyes flashed for the second time that morning and, turning, Cassia spotted a penitent-looking Draco walking down the corridor. Without thinking twice, Harry glared at him, and Draco promptly stopped walking towards them, before he doubled-back and went up the grand staircase. Harry moved after him, and Cassia shook her head, knowing that none of this could possibly end well.

"Harry..." She began, and moved to follow, but he ignored her, and walked up the stairs, tearing up after Draco as if his life depended on it. She paused then, listening acutely; ever since she was able to transfigure herself into a bobcat, she'd picked up their sense of hearing, which had always worked out in her favor. Pressing herself up against a wall outside the boys' upstairs lavatory, she heard Draco turning on the taps, and sobbing, and Harry slipped into the antechamber outside the room.

"I know what you did, Malfoy," Harry declared from where he stood. "You hexed her, didn't you?" he asked his enemy.

There was a grunt then, and Cassia sensed a spell going off, with a shattering sound a moment later, with Harry ducking for cover.

Cassia peered around the corner then, her jaw dropping open as the site unfolded before her, of Harry and Draco hurling spells at one another. She felt tremors flowing through her then as she stood, wide-eyed and silent, as she continued to watch. "No..." She whispered a moment later as a red bolt of light came out of Draco's wand.

"Cruc—!" he shouted.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry yelled out then, a white light bolting out of his wand, and causing Draco to collapse right where he stood.

Cassia felt a secondary wave of Dark Magic hit her then, and stumbled slightly, watching with horror as Harry stood over Draco, who had smashed to the floor, many cuts littering the surface of his skin, as he bled-out onto the now-waterlogged floor. Cassia shut her eyes then, blinded by tears as she hid herself back against the wall, and fumbled for her wand then, waving it, but could not produce a Patronus. Shaking her head, she ran as fast as she could, coming to the corridor with the Albus's office, and saw Severus just leaving it.

"Cassia?" he asked.

Cassia let out a choked sob and threw herself into his arms. "I know what spell you're talking about," she cried out.

Severus yanked her backwards then, and saw that she was trembling. "Cassia? What are you talking about? What happened?"

"Harry... Harry used it... Harry used it on Draco," she managed to get out.

Severus's black eyes flared then and he grabbed ahold of Cassia's arm, dragging her back the way she'd come, and pulled full-stop in front of the bathroom, noticing that Harry was still standing above Draco's body. "Get Potter out of here," Severus growled then, and dropped Cassia's arm, before shoving his way past Harry.

Cassia swallowed, drying her tears from her eyes for the moment and stepped forward, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let's go," she said, and was relieved that she got no protest from the sixteen-year-old. Cassia brought Harry directly to Albus's office, and went inside with him, and did her best to remain impassive. "Go ahead," she said, and stepped back, finding that she was devoid of any emotion as Albus looked up at Harry.

"I used a cutting curse on Malfoy," Harry said then, his voice a monotone.

Cassia was excused shortly thereafter by Albus, but she knew a detention—a whole mess of them—were now in Harry's future. She felt herself go into a slight haze, not really knowing where she was going, until she found herself walking into Severus's private chambers. She spotted him immediately, staring out the window, and shut the door behind her before she crossed the room towards him, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How is Draco?" she whispered.

"He'll live," Severus replied, his tone clipped, but he nevertheless placed his hands on top of hers, where they rested on the front of his waist. "And Potter?"

"Detention, plenty of them," she replied, inhaling his scent of sandalwood and lavender, which always made her toes curl. "Albus let me go. He said I was...distraught."

Severus summoned a vial of Calming Draught, promptly handing it over to Cassia, who drank it in one sip. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself then, and felt herself trembling. "It was the first time I couldn't produce a Patronus Charm," she admitted, her voice shaking. "I... I haven't had that happen to me before."

Severus gave a nod. "It is a horrific curse."

Cassia worried her bottom lip. "Why would you make a curse like that?"

Severus sighed. "It is designed for enemies."

Cassia raised her eyes to his. "You wanted to use it on James, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps, the thought occurred to me, no matter how fleeting. I suppose we all have dark thoughts that clog up our mind."

Cassia lowered her arms then and stepped forward, placing her hands, palm down, onto his shoulders, and peering up at him. "I've told you that it doesn't matter to me what you did in your younger years. I still stand by that statement."

Severus sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Cassia sighed, shutting her eyes. "I don't know," she admitted, "but I think I should be asking you the same question."

. . .

Cassia stood in the stands of the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw Quidditch match, remembering her promise to Harry, months ago, that she would be there that day. That was before his attack on Draco had gotten him relieved of his captain duties by putting him in detention. Ginny was playing as Seeker that day, and Cassia and Hermione stood, rapt, watching the game. Neville, Seamus, and Dean were standing around them, too, cheering for Gryffindor.

"How's Dean taking it?" Cassia asked amid a wonderful play by Ron.

"About his breakup with Ginny?" Hermione wanted to know.

Cassia nodded. "Yes. That."

Hermione sighed. "As well as can be expected, I suppose. I think he knows by now that Harry and Ginny are a logical conclusion."

Cassia nodded, watching as the Golden Snitch was released by Madam Hooch onto the field, and both Ginny and Cho Chang, the Seeker for Ravenclaw, took off after it. "I hope you don't blame me for Harry..."

"He had no right to use that spell, no matter what we think of Malfoy," Hermione said quickly, taking ahold of Cassia's hand. "You, of course, did your duty by informing Professor Snape to heal him, and Headmaster Dumbledore to discipline Harry appropriately."

Cassia felt relieved to know that Hermione didn't resent her, which is when Ginny dove downwards suddenly, cutting off Cho, and grasped ahold of the snitch.

"Gryffindor wins the match," called Luna from where she was giving commentary, and Cassia was pleased that it didn't bother her that her own house had lost.

Cassia and Hermione jumped up and down with the rest of the crowd, before they clutched one another, and then Cassia let out a laugh when Hermione grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down to the rooms where the players went before and after every game, beneath the quidditch stands. Once they were in there, Cassia let out a delighted giggle as Hermione ran forwards and embraced Ron, kissing him on the cheek, and Ron, flustered, seemed happy about the entire exchange that had been handed to him.

"Cassia!" he called, and Cassia came forward, letting out a laugh as Ron lifted her almost in an effortless manner, very like Charlie in his hugs. "Glad you could make it, sis!"

"Amazing play out there, bro," Cassia said, letting herself down from Ron's arms and looking around the room. "Where's our little sister?"

"Not so little, thank you very much," said Ginny with a laugh as she stepped into view.

"Ginny!" Cassia and Hermione shouted as one, and grabbed the redhead at the same time, and held her close.

"Let the girl breathe, 'Mione," Ron said with a chuckle. "You, too, Cassia."

"Cassia's arranged something in the common room," Hermione said.

"Oh, Hermione," Cassia said, rolling her eyes.

"Used your Seer status to know if we'd win?" Ginny asked with a grin.

Cassia rolled her shoulders. "The odds were more in your favor..."

"What'd you get us, Cassia?" Ron asked, throwing his arm over her shoulder.

Cassia laughed. "A Butterbeer keg," she said with a shrug.

The four of them soon found themselves back in the Gryffindor common room, with Ron holding up the Quidditch Cup for all to see. It was a massive, silver, beast of a thing, which the youngest Weasley son held triumphantly up in the center of the crowd he stood in. Cassia stood with Hermione and Ginny, sipping their Butterbeer, and Ginny rolled her eyes at Ron's theatrics in the center of the room.

"You would think he won the damn thing," Ginny muttered.

"Let him have this one, Ginny," Hermione coaxed her gently.

The portrait hole opened then, and Harry crossed the threshold, looking winded and exhausted from his latest detention. He stopped on the base of the small set of stairs, looking around the room, confusion riddling his green eyes. He found Ron in the crowd, still holding onto the cup, who broke out into a grin at seeing Harry.

"We won!" came Ron's shout as he ran forwards, showing off the cup. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"

Harry's eyes regarded the cup for a moment, and it was then that Cassia saw Ginny handing over her glass of Butterbeer to Hermione as she ran towards Harry. Harry, meanwhile, had found her in the crowd and, once Ginny came towards Harry, there was no doubt what was on his mind. He yanked his neck backwards as soon as she threw her arms around him, and kissed her.

Cassia and Hermione immediately gripped each other's hands, completely pleased with the situation they were watching. Ron, for his part, nearly dropped the cup at the sight, and Dean smashed his glass from across the room. Harry pulled away from Ginny at last, and she stared up at him with a look that radiated such love and affection, and Harry met it, for a moment, before looking up at Ron, who sighed and shrugged at him. Next, Harry turned his gaze to Hermione, who nodded and grinned at him, and, at last, he turned and looked at Cassia.

Cassia, for her part, gave him a knowing smile, and nodded in the direction of the portrait hole, knowing that the pair of them would have things to discuss. Snapping back to reality, Harry took Ginny's hand and led her outside. Cassia smiled at the exchange then, but suddenly, a gasp escaped from her throat before she could call it back, as she felt the tell-tale burning sensation on her right forearm.

"Cassia?" Hermione asked. "You all right?"

"Perfectly," Cassia said, fixing a smile onto her lips. "I've got to go, though. Ministry business calls, I'm afraid," she said, her tone unsteady as she crossed over towards the hearth. She Floo'd directly to Severus's rooms, wondering this double life of hers would end.

. . .

Cassia's eyes flew open in the early hours of the morning on the penultimate day in June. She hadn't been back to Hogwarts since mid-May, when Harry and Ginny had spontaneously kissed in the Gryffindor common room, in the wake of Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup. Cassia looked next to her in the bed she slept in, detecting slight warmth but noticing that the space was empty. Pushing back the blankets despite the early-summer heat, Cassia made her way out of the bedroom and into the sitting room, spotting Severus in the window seat.

Cassia and Severus never bothered with many clothes, especially during this time of year, so her hair did much of the covering as she crossed the darkness of the room and perched on the opposite side of where Severus sat. "You've been quiet of late," she said, and Severus continued in that fashion, his stare impassive out onto the Hogwarts grounds. "Also, I feel as if you've been avoiding me. _He_ doesn't need to see me much anymore; I think it all has to do with the careful planning you're all up to. What is it? That you're planning, I mean."

Severus sighed then, automatically clutching his right hand, still burned with the rings of the Unbreakable Vow he'd made the August before. "You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you what's happening, Cassia. The secrets I've kept..."

Cassia stiffened then, and it wasn't at the sensation of the cold stone along her naked skin. "I'm scared, Severus," she admitted then, reached out to take his hand. "Why do I get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?"

Severus clutched at her hands then, his brow furrowing. "Something bad is going to happen, I fear," he said quietly.

Cassia bit her lower lip. "What aren't you telling me?"

Severus raised his eyes, at last to hers. "Nothing, because I can tell you nothing."

Cassia felt tears forming at the back of her eyes. "What do I do, Severus?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

"You're going to be asked to pick a side, ultimately," Severus whispered. "I know that you have your loyalties, Cassia, but, quite soon, nothing will be safe."

"I love you," Cassia whispered then, and Severus gave a pained expression.

"Don't love me, Cassia..."

"I cannot help it," she whispered then, the tears suspending themselves on her lashes. "I've loved you since I was seventeen, Severus, and I am twenty-four-years-old now. I tried to move on from you two times over, but, no matter what, it wouldn't take..."

"You loved Black," Severus said, his tone stiff.

"Yes, and if the events at the Department of Mysteries hadn't happened, I'd likely be married to him by now," she replied. "But that was then, Severus; this, right here, this is now. I couldn't love Everest, and Sirius, although I did love him, he did not awake or evoke passion from within me the way that you do again and again. I always find my way back to you because, no matter what you do, I shall always forgive you."

Severus shook his head. "I don't believe that, Cassia."

Cassia got onto her knees then; the stone was hard and cold beneath them but, in that moment, it didn't bother her. "What is it you're so afraid of here, Severus?" she asked.

Severus raised his eyes to hers then, and launched himself at her then, pulling her flush against him, and was slightly shocked at the gasp of shock and arousal which came forth from Cassia because of the movement. "I don't want to lose you, Cassia," he declared, his voice reverberating with passion.

"Then don't," she whispered to him. "Don't lose me, Severus."

Severus lay her down on the stone of the window seat then, his manner and movements completely gentle, and slowly checked to see if Cassia was ready for him, and he felt overwhelmed with desire when he felt that she was. He languidly eased himself inside her, and Cassia immediately gripped onto his shoulders, propelling him more deeply inside her. Severus leaned down then, brushing his lips with hers.

"Stay with me," he said, his voice fearful.

"Always," Cassia whispered, tilting her chin up to kiss him again.

. . .

Cassia had arranged for the day off the following day, and so she spent her time with Severus in his rooms between classes, for the most part. She returned to the manor in the morning to spend time with the twins before they went off to primary school, and to get a shower and change. She retuned just as late-afternoon had set in, and felt slightly odd as she stepped out of the Floo Network in Severus's rooms. Severus was nowhere to be found, and there were dark gray clouds gathering around the school, despite it being summertime.

She walked over to the window then, gazing up at the clouds and attempting to contemplate the meaning behind them. Afternoon bled into evening, and Severus still hadn't returned to his rooms, and it was the sudden appearance of silver light behind her that startled her. Turning, Cassia saw a silver doe standing behind her, lingering, and motioning with her head, almost as if asking Cassia to follow it. Cassia, although shocked, moved to obey, and followed the illuminated creature, down corridors and up staircases, and it disappeared by the base of the stairs leading to the astronomy tower. Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, recalling her first time flying her Air Wave Gold with Charlie Weasley, and flying over the astronomy tower, and knowing, almost instinctively, that something dreadful would happen then.

Cassia quickly cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm, ignoring her mark flaring slightly on her arm as she climbed the stairs and hid in the shadows. She spotted Harry standing on the first level, staring upwards at something, and Cassia moved so that she was standing beside him. Harry, of course, did not see her, and his wand came out of his pocket then, and he pointed it at something, someone, standing above them. Cassia raised her eyes upwards then, seeing Draco standing up there, his wand out, pointed directly at Albus.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco said, and Albus's wand flew quickly out of his hand.

"Draco, you don't need to do this," Albus told him, his voice calm, and Cassia felt her heart hammering in her ears as she noticed that they were not alone; in fact, Bella and Greyback—the werewolf who had cursed Remus—was there, too. "There was once another boy who was in your very same place in life, who was very gifted in magic, as you are. Don't follow the same path he did."

"_Do it_!" Bella yelled at Draco. "What are you waiting for?!" she demanded of him.

Cassia felt a presence behind her and Harry, and, as they both turned at the same moment, Severus stood there, aiming his wand at Harry, and holding a finger to his lips. He turned and moved up to the tower itself, with one last fleeting gaze at Cassia, before he disappeared up the stairs.

"_Now_, Draco! Kill him!" Bella was still hissing.

"No," Severus said, and Cassia felt her heart enter her throat then as Severus moved to stand beside Draco.

"Severus," Albus said, his tone gentle. "Please."

"Avada Kedavra," Severus replied, the blast of green leaving his wand instantly, and colliding with Albus in the following moment, causing the headmaster to topple off the astronomy tower, in a sea of silver robes.

Cassia felt herself trembling then as she fought the urge to scream, as Bella ran towards the lookout point of the tower itself, and blasted her wand into the air, casting the Dark Mark into the deep gray clouds. Harry turned and watched as the Death Eaters, Draco, and Severus got out of there, and ran off, presumably after them. Once they were alone, Cassia fell to her knees then, her Notice-Me-Not Charm breaking as the floor of the astronomy tower splintered as soon as she made contact with it. She kept on screaming, and couldn't stop; lifting her tear-stained face then, she peered through the darkness then, seeing a lone Death Eater standing there—Gibbon, she remembered his name was.

Cassia felt her anger flowing through her, unable to be contained, and her wand landed in her hand then, pointing directly at the masked man. "Avada Kedavra!" she yelled then, the bolt of green light hitting him squarely in the chest, causing him to crumple in front of her.

Cassia dropped her wand then, shudders and gasps leaving her lips then, as she let out a further scream at what she had done. Finally, she got to her feet then and walked with purpose out of there, her face filled with—well, nothing. She walked coldly down the stairs of the astronomy tower and made her way down the hallways of the school. She didn't know how her feet knew where to take her, but they did, and she found herself at the edge of the Forbidden Forest shortly thereafter.

"Cassia."

She slipped into the first line of trees then, seeing Severus. She had dried the tears from her eyes then, and stared at him, impassive. "I suppose that was what you sought to protect Draco from, then?" she asked, her voice hard.

Severus gave a stiff nod. "Yes." He stepped forward. "Cassia..."

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice devoid of emotion as she stepped away from him. "Don't you ever touch me."

"Cassia..."

"You're not the only one who committed murder tonight, Severus," she said, and Severus looked shocked at her words. "That little wimp—Gibbon? He was lurking in the tower, trying to catch me unawares. I killed him," she said then, staring up at him, cold and unfeeling.

Severus stared at Cassia, openmouthed. "What?" he whispered.

"Least I didn't kill someone who trusted me," she said then, her emotions threatening to come out from between her cracks. "Merlin, why didn't I see how much of a goddamn coward you truly are, Snape?"

Severus advanced upon her then, grabbing her shoulders. "You take that back, or I'll—"

"Flipendo!" Cassia screamed then, and a yellow light beamed out of her wand, knocking Severus several yards away from her. "Go away with them, Severus. Right now, I need to play my part for the Light..." Her voice cracked then. "Tell them I'll be there soon," she said, and turned on her heel, leaving the forest as quickly as she could.

Cassia turned at the footsteps approaching her as she sat in a window seat alcove the following morning. She had not slept, or eaten, since the afternoon before, and, in fact, she had lost her appetite for both. As Hermione stepped into view, Cassia got to her feet, knowing how she must look, with her hair slightly stringy, and her face blotchy from exhaustion and crying.

Hermione came forward then and embraced Cassia. "You loved him."

Cassia sighed. "I cannot. Not anymore."

Hermione held Cassia close for a moment before letting her go. "What will you do?"

"My job... I know that Albus gave you that _searching_ task," she said, and Hermione nodded, seemingly relieved that Cassia knew about it as well. "And... I was given a job as well, and, it seems, even with his death, I must complete it."

"Job?" Hermione asked.

Cassia lifted up her sleeve then, and Hermione new back. "I am a spy," she said softly before she dragged the sleeve down again. "A spy for the Light. Albus ordered me on the night that _he_ came back, in the graveyard, to do this."

"That's why Nagini gets into your mind," she whispered.

Cassia nodded. "One of the reasons, yes." She hesitated. "I certainly don't know everything, Hermione, and I'm fully aware that not all is as it seems, especially now."

"Wise words," she whispered. She stepped forward and put her arms around Cassia again. "Are you staying?"

"For the moment," Cassia replied. "I think, at this rate, it would be worse to go..."

. . .

Cassia felt relieved that Tonks had saved her a seat at the funeral two days after Albus had fallen off the astronomy tower. It was almost as if he wasn't really gone, due to his presence in many people's lives. Cassia saw that Tonks and Remus were finally a couple, and she was pleased to see that something good had come out of all this.

Cassia was nursing two giant holes in her heart that day, and it wasn't because of Severus, although it was connected to him directly. It was on the previous day that she had obtained a coveted International Floo Network Pass, courtesy of Minerva, and had sent Sebastian and Circe to live with Samantha and Alabaster in New York. It was cathartic when, later that evening, she burned their documentation, thus killing any link they had to her, and sat, motionless, in the living room for the remainder of the night.

"Didn't think you'd come."

Cassia turned to see Charlie, back from Romania for the day, and leaned into his shoulder. "I have to be here, Charlie..." Her voice broke.

"You all right?" he asked.

She sighed. "Not really. I mentioned that the twins left yesterday."

Charlie squeezed her shoulder. "Yes. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It's better, now that you're here," she told him, forcing a smile onto her lips.

Charlie regarded her for a moment then, saying nothing. "What aren't you telling me, Cassia?" he asked her at last.

Cassia swallowed. "I saw it," she whispered.

Charlie blinked. "What? Dumbledore...?" he whispered.

She nodded. "Yes. The ministry expected my full-report that night, and I gave it yesterday morning after I finally got out of here. Lots of red tape..."

"How do you mean?"

"They checked my wand for Unforgivables, and it came back dirty," she whispered.

"Cassia..."

"It was a Death Eater, a real one," she whispered, barely speaking the final part of her sentence, although her voice still trembled. "Gibbon. I killed him. They altered the report, saying that Rowle killed him, but, it was me..."

Charlie shook his head. "Blimey, Cassia..."

She nodded, feeling her shoulders hunching then. "Look, I understand if you and Mum and Dad don't ever want to talk to me again..."

Charlie pressed his lips to her temple and held her close. "You're a Weasley for life, Cassia," he replied simply. "We're not getting rid of you that easily."

Cassia declined a trip to the Burrow after the funeral, promising to stop by soon in order to appease Molly. As she walked off the Hogwarts grounds, she remembered meeting Tonks for the first time at the front gates, when things were easier, and she didn't love a coward. She shook her head, vowing not to think of Severus as she walked down the main road of Hogsmeade, and saw how crowded The Three Broomsticks was, and so she went further down, towards the normally less-populated Hog's Head Inn.

Letting herself inside and meandering towards the bar, Cassia ordered a goblet of Firewhiskey, hoping that the burning in her throat would enable her to put her emotional pain onto the back burner. She sipped her drink, raising her eyes to the man who had served it to her, and very nearly dropped her drink as she held his gaze. She lowered the goblet back onto the counter and shook her head; she was obviously seeing things.

"It's not the Firewhiskey," the man informed her.

Cassia let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, well, you look like somebody I knew..."

"You knew Albus?"

Cassia's eyes snapped to the stranger in front of her. "Yeah," she replied, planting her elbows onto the bar before her. "You know him, too?"

"Of course I do. Aberforth Dumbledore," said the man, and took Cassia's hand in his to shake it, his eyes warm. "I'm Albus's younger brother."

Cassia let out a gasp then, seeing a young girl in Aberforth's mind—Ariana—as well as some screams, curses, terror, and devastation. "Oh... Oh, my..."

"What did you say your name was?" he asked.

Cassia shook her head. "I didn't. It's Cassia Serbus."

"Ah, the American Auror," he said, his tone fond as he nodded in approval. "It seems as though Albus was right about you being a Seer. Haven't met a genuine one in a long time, but, based on your reaction, I think you slipped into my mind. What'd you see?"

Cassia smiled sadly at him then. "Ariana," she said softly. "Albus mentioned her, briefly. I'm very sorry about your loss."

Aberforth looked thoughtful for a moment, his dark eyes roving over Cassia, before he motioned for her to follow, and she hopped off her stool, and ventured with him into the back of the inn, where a small living area appeared to be. There was a massive portrait on the wall, of a beautiful young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Cassia knew immediately that it had to be Ariana, and she smiled at the fourteen-year-old girl.

"Ariana, this is Albus's dear friend, Cassia Serbus, the one we spoke about," Aberforth explained to his sister.

Ariana, who wore a long, blue dress and clutched at a book, smiled automatically at Cassia. She lifted her hand to her, before pointing to her eye, and then to Cassia.

"She says she remembers that you are a Seer," Aberforth told Cassia. "She knows, Ariana, about what happened. She saw it in both Albus's and my mind."

Ariana nodded then, a small, sad smile on her lips. She gave a little shrug.

"I'm so sorry," Cassia said, and Ariana turned her gaze onto her. "I'm so sorry that circumstances prevented you from... Well, everything..."

Ariana nodded sadly to Cassia, obviously pleased for the conversation. She opened the book in her arms, pointing frantically at it, before she dragged her index finger across the page, and nodding at Aberforth.

"Ah, yes," Aberforth said, and walked over to a cupboard across the room, and unlocked it with an unknown incantation. "Albus left this for you," he said quietly, and handed over a folded piece of parchment. "I'll leave you to it," he said softly, nodded at the table and chairs scattered around them, and retuned to the front of the inn.

Cassia held the letter in her hands, before she turned and looked up at Ariana, who nodded her approval, and Cassia sank into one of the chairs. She opened the letter slowly then, just seeing the handwriting causing tears to form in her eyes. Shaking her head, she forced herself to unfold the parchment completely and read from it.

_Cassia,_

_If you're reading this, you know that I am finally gone. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to tell you about the Unbreakable Vow, which included Severus's promise to protect Draco. All will be revealed in good time, my dear girl, but please do not give up on Severus, for all is not as it seems, and I know he cannot bear to lose you._

_I told you before my death that I would be leaving you something in my will. I don't suppose my last testament will be read in a hasty manner, so I'll be brief. In my will, I am leaving you my beloved familiar, Fawkes. He responded to you rather quickly, Cassia, and I feel he would be very pleased to have you as a companion. All you need to is call for him, and he will make himself known to you immediately._

_I want you to remember that the truth, my dear girl, is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution._

_Your ally and friend in this life and beyond,_

_Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

Cassia raised her eyes from the letter in her hands, and was suddenly aware that she was crying, and that the sister of the man who had written the letter was watching her. Cassia jerked up from her seat then, and whispered, "Thank you," to Ariana, before she Apparated, wanting to go somewhere far away. She figured out, rather quickly, that her magic had taken her to some cliffs in Cornwall, and the sea air, as well as the waves crashing up against the surf, were beautiful things to behold.

The piece of parchment fluttered in her hands, and she quickly folded and pocketed the thing, and made a vow to herself never to be without it. As her hair, now closer than ever before to its original length, blew in the wind around her, Cassia suddenly realized how much had changed in so little time, and how much work there was to be done. She knew that Harry, Ron, and Hermione would not be returning to Hogwarts the following year, and would begin their Horcrux journey, and all she hoped for was their safety.

She nibbled on her lower lip then, and whispered, "Fawkes."

With a burst of flame and an elated trill, the bird suddenly landed on the cliff beside her. He pressed his head into her shoulder, instantly detecting her sadness, and Cassia reached up and carefully petted his feathers. He was at the top of his strength at the moment, and, quite suddenly, Cassia wanted to fly.

"Fawkes," she said carefully, and the bird inclined his head at her. "Do you know where my home, Prince Manor, is?"

Fawkes shut his eyes and nodded his head reverently.

"Could you fly us home then, old friend?"

Fawkes trilled happily then, his black eyes snapping open as his wings began to flap. He extended one of his great long legs to Cassia, who immediately took ahold of it as the phoenix pulled them up into the air. The sea air tickled Cassia's face one last time as they flew in the opposite direction, and Cassia shut her eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of being free, and knowing that, despite everything, she was still very much a prisoner.


	17. Cruel to be Kind

Cassia flew down on her broomstick onto the grounds of the Burrow; the darkness enveloped her, and she dashed towards the doorway. It flew open, and Molly and Ginny stood there; without hesitation, Molly grabbed ahold of Cassia, and Ginny did the same. There was a moment of silence as the three witches clutched onto one another, and Cassia was relieved to see that they were all right.

"I got away as quickly as I could, Mum," Cassia said, her voice breathless as she was led inside by the two of them. "What's going on?"

"Harry's been moved tonight, but nobody's back yet," Ginny said, her voice shaking. Her eyes were filled with torment, likely due to Harry breaking off their relationship in the midst of Albus's funeral, at the beginning of the month.

There was a whooshing sound heard from the yard then, and Molly, Ginny, and Cassia bolted out the door, relieved to see Harry and Hagrid standing there. Cassia felt her thunderbolt burning as she took in Harry and, sensing the mutual torment between them, dashed forward, pleased that Ginny understood it's purpose as she and Harry embraced one another.

"Merlin, what happened?" Cassia whispered to him.

"They... They got Hedwig," Harry replied, his voice broken. "She tried to protect me. I let her out of her cage before the flight, but she tipped off a Death Eater. They tried to hit me or Hagrid with the Killing Curse, but she got in the way, and now she's gone..."

"Oh, Merlin, Harry, I'm so sorry," Cassia replied, holding him close. She remembered the snowy owl seeming to like and trust her immediately, and knew that Harry would have a hole in his heart at losing his familiar and second friend.

At another whooshing sound, Harry and Cassia broke apart, and Remus and a disheveled-looking George Weasley popped into view. Harry dragged himself away from Cassia and threw an arm around George's shoulders, and was suddenly taking all the weight as Remus stuck his wand in Cassia's face.

"Wha' th' 'ell do yer think yer doin'?!" Hagrid demanded, and scooped George into his arms, taking him into the house.

"Is this really the time, Remus?!" Cassia demanded of him, taking out her wand at the same moment, and pointed it at the man.

"The first conversation that I had with Cassia Serbus," Remus said.

"It was on the train of the Hogwarts Express, on the first of September 1993," Cassia said, as she remembered the day in her mind. "We discussed our Patronuses, plus your lycanthropy, and my being a Seer. I figured out that you were a werewolf when you shook my hand, and I told you I knew who you were."

Remus gave a stiff nod. "Now you. Ask me."

"What did we argue about after your Boggart class?" she asked him.

"Your opinions on Severus Snape," Remus said quietly, and Harry visibly stiffened from where he stood at Remus's side. "You claimed he wasn't a Death Eater, while I claimed that Death Eaters never changed. You stormed out shortly thereafter."

Cassia nodded, lowering her wand, and Remus did the same. "Good to know we're all of the same opinion now," she said, her tone stiff.

"Not entirely," Remus said, and grabbed ahold of Harry then, and Cassia gasped aloud at the movements, and shook her head.

"Lupin!" she screamed, forgoing pleasantries.

"What are you doing to him?!" Ginny cried out, and Cassia moved beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Quiet!" Remus barked at her, holding his wand on Harry. "What creature was in my office the last time Harry Potter was in there?"

"Are you mad?!" Harry screamed, attempting to drag Remus's hand from his throat.

"What creature?!" Remus roared.

"A...grindylow!" Harry sputtered, thinking quickly.

Remus sighed, removing his wand and his hand from Harry's person, his brow remorseful as he stood back. "We've been betrayed," he replied, his voice saddened. "Voldemort knew you were being moved tonight. I had to make sure you weren't an imposter."

Harry gave a stiff nod at that, as Kingsley and Hermione touched down, with the latter running towards Cassia. Cassia felt her eyebrows raising but nevertheless accepted the embrace from Hermione, only to let her go when she did so to Ginny, and then Harry. Cassia looked up then, and saw the Kingsley and Remus were now facing off.

"The last words that Albus Dumbledore said to us," Kingsley said to Remus.

"Harry is our hope for the Light. Trust him," Remus replied, and Kingsley gave a nod, and both wizards lowered their wands.

It was then that Tonks showed up with a weary-looking Ron, and she dashed forward, towards her husband, while Remus indicated that Hermione could go towards Ron. There were no questions this time around, as Remus could likely detect by scent which one his wife was. Cassia smiled then, remembering witnessing their wedding a few weeks before, pleased that Remus had finally come out with his feelings for her best friend.

"Tonks," she said, dashing forward, and Tonks released her husband and threw her arms around Cassia immediately then. "You all right?"

"Wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for him," she said, and Hermione, who had, meanwhile, ran towards Ron, looked shocked.

"What?" Hermione asked him.

"Always the tone of surprise," Ron said.

Harry dashed forward then, grabbing ahold of his best friends as Bill and Fleur showed up, followed by Arthur and Fred. The rest of them all went inside, with Fred running towards George, laying on the couch. Cassia stumbled then, and shook her head, eyes filling with tears at the sight.

"If you know something, Cassia, speak up," Remus put in.

Cassia swallowed. "I know the curse," she whispered, nodding at George, and Fred and Molly turned around to listen to her. "It's much worse than it could be. The ear will not be saved but, if you like, I could try and stop the bleeding and close the wound."

Molly nodded, motioning for Fred to move. "Go ahead, dear."

Cassia swallowed, kneeling by Fred and squeezing his hand. "I'll tell you the counter-curse so you can help me, Fred. All right?"

Fred nodded, looking down at George, who stirred. "How are you feeling, Georgie?" he asked his twin.

George grinned. "Saint-like," he replied.

"Come again?" Fred asked.

"Saint-like. I'm holy. Get it, Fred? I'm _holey_," he declared.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "You're both terrible," she said, shaking her head. "Least Mum'll be able to tell you apart now." She turned to Fred. "All right, then. The counter-curse is _Vulnera Sanentur_. Have you got that?"

Fred nodded. "Got it."

Cassia and Fred raised their wands then, healing George quietly, and George remained half-asleep throughout, the only detection that he was partially awake being his brows knitting together and apart as she and Fred healed him. The room was silent, apart from Fred and Cassia healing George, until Bill spoke a moment later.

"Mad-Eye's dead," he said, and Cassia and Tonks immediately locked eyes. "Took the Killing Curse like a hero. Mundungus saw the Death Eaters and Disapparated."

Cassia lowered her eyes, finishing George's healing, just before she felt her mark burning. She sighed, getting to her feet, and locking eyes with Molly. "Mum, I've got to use your Floo," she told her quietly.

"Now?!" Harry demanded.

"Quiet, Harry," Hermione scolded him.

"Go right ahead, dear," Molly said.

Cassia nodded, not looking back as she chucked the powder into the flames, whispering for them to take her to Malfoy Manor, and stepped in. She was able to appear on the ground floor of the stately home, and quickly transfigured her Muggle attire into Death Eater robes. She went up the stairs then, her face impassive as she did so, and came upon the same room that they were always stationed in, pointedly ignoring Severus as she crossed over to Voldemort and promptly knelt before him.

"You sent for me, my lord?"

"Yes, my dear Cassia," he replied, allowing Cassia to kiss the back of his hand. "You went to the Burrow this evening, as discussed?"

Cassia nodded. "I did, my lord. That insipid wolf put me through questioning but, as I am the real Cassia Serbus, he was none the wiser."

"Good," Voldemort said, and dragged Cassia to her feet. "You shall be well-rewarded for all of this, Cassia. Your spy efforts this evening, as well as getting our dear Lucius out of Azkaban and back to his family," he declared. "Go and greet them."

Cassia nodded, with a final bow to him, and left his side. She crossed over to where Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Bella all were, and gave them cold smiles. "So pleased to see my efforts to bring you all back together were successful."

Narcissa went forward then and took Cassia by the hands. "The Malfoys owe you a debt so great, Cassia. We can never repay you for bringing Lucius back to us."

Cassia and Narcissa bowed over each other's hands. "It is the prisons own fault, Cissa. They need to realizing that having Aurors Apparate in and out of there at will, without regard for them taking prisoners with them, is a safety hazard." She let out a low chuckle. "Of course, I was only too glad to take the risk."

"I believe you had further information for us, my dear," Voldemort said.

Cassia squeezed Narcissa's hands before she dropped them, and turned to face him. "I do have further information, my lord."

"Well, then, Cassia, speak."

"The Muggle Studies Professor at Hogwarts is a disgusting excuse for a witch," Cassia said, and spoke plainly. "She and I are due to see one another soon, because she's invited me round for tea. I think that she would be a perfect candidate to take from Hogwarts, so as to accomplish your plans by the start-of-term, my lord."

Voldemort's red eyes gleamed at Cassia's evilness. "Very good. You will slip something in her tea to incapacitate her, my dear, and then you will bring her to me."

Cassia stepped forward then, and took his offered hand, before kissing it. "Yes, my lord, I swear it. She'll be brought right to you."

"You must go and prepare immediately, my dear Cassia," Voldemort said, releasing Cassia's hand and waving her off. "Severus will assist you with something to incapacitate her. Both of you, go on."

Cassia gave a further sweeping bow towards him, and swept from the room, sensing Severus walking downstairs behind her. "I shall contact you via Patronus when I am due to have tea with Charity, and then you shall hand off the potion before I do so," she said, keeping her back to him as she reached towards the pot with Floo Powder inside.

Severus reached out then and touched Cassia's shoulder, and Cassia, although her back was to him, raised her eyes slightly then. "Don't shut me out, Cassia. Please."

Cassia swallowed. "You had ample opportunity to warn me, Severus. This just brings me to the direct conclusion that I meant nothing to you."

Severus's fingers wrapped themselves around her shoulder then. "You know very well that that's untrue, Cassia. You must know by now that you mean everything to me."

Cassia dragged her shoulder out from underneath Severus's grip. "Lies," she hissed through her teeth, hating that she was trembling all over.

"You're frightened, Cassia."

Cassia turned around to face him, her eyes blazing with hatred. "Don't you ever accuse me of being that filthy word," she hissed at him. "I have to hurry home and put on my Light façade for the entire world to see now. Then, I have to prepare for my tea with that hideous and simpering Charity Burbage, who is constantly going on about how our kind are allowed to _mate_ with Muggles. How can she just sit by and allow blood to be tainted like that?"

Severus's eyes widened then as he took in Cassia's demeanor. "What's happened to you?" he whispered to her.

Cassia's eyes flashed. "Murder taints the soul," she replied with a bitter smile his way, before she turned around, tossed her handful of Floo Powder into the flames, and stepped through without hesitation.

. . .

Cassia wandlessly levitated Charity Burbage into the air, before she crossed over to her Floo Network in the inner rooms of the Muggle Studies classroom. She'd put up a Silencing Charm so as nobody would come waltzing into the classroom, and, a moment later, Cassia was swallowed up by the Floo with Charity in tow. They arrived downstairs in Malfoy Manor, and Cassia continued up the stairs, smiling in a cool manner as she stepped into the meeting room, and was slightly surprised when Voldemort got to his feet.

"Ah, my dear Cassia, I see you were successful."

Cassia nodded. "Yes, my lord," she said, kneeling before him, and was promptly risen up by the Dark Lord. "Just a Silencing Charm, and then it was all a matter of her drinking the potion that Severus provided me with."

"Very good," he said, and took over levitation duties, and motioned for Cassia to sit at the table, but hesitated for a moment. "Lucius, move down one seat."

Lucius looked shocked. "Why, my lord?"

"Cassia will now sit beside Bella for our meetings. Now, _move_," he said, glaring at the Malfoy patriarch, and Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco all moved down a chair.

Cassia crossed the room and sat beside Bella, who squeezed her hand.

"You've done so well," Bella whispered to her.

Cassia gave Bella a small smile. "All for our Dark Lord, Bella," she responded. She sat in the high-backed, black seats as all the Death Eaters did, which were ornate in their own right, although Voldemort's was far grander than the rest of the chairs.

Voldemort, meanwhile, had maneuvered Charity Burbage so that she was levitated just above the long table; the Muggle Studies Professor had retained a state of semi-consciousness, and her eyes darted around the room in fear.

"C...Cassia," she whispered, her wide, frightened eyes taking in Cassia, from where she sat beside Bella. "How... How could you...? We were friends..."

"Silence," Voldemort hissed, although he did not put a spell on Charity.

Severus swept into the room immediately thereafter, and took in the scene around him, pain fleetingly passing over his features for a moment.

"Ah, Severus. How kind of you to join us," Voldemort said, and Severus bowed to him quickly before putting himself in the vacant chair between Cassia and Lucius, who set Cassia's teeth on edge, but she said nothing. "Cassia gave us the report of young Potter's removal four days ago, and now the boy is of age."

"Yes, my lord," Severus replied. "I'm told he will be remaining at the Weasley family home for the foreseeable future."

Cassia leaned forward then. "My lord, if I may..."

"Yes, Cassia?" Voldemort said, turning his attention onto Cassia.

"The oldest child of the Weasleys is to be married tomorrow, and I have received an invitation to the wedding," she said calmly. "Perhaps I could alert you as to a good time for you to infiltrate the place."

Voldemort gleamed at the prospect. "Very good, getting their trust enough to be invited to such a festive occasion," he declared. "Yes, do alert us. As such," he went on, surveying the table, "our allies within the ministry, other than Cassia, will assist in the murder of Scrimgeour tomorrow. I have Yaxley to thank for securing the opportunity."

"Yes, my lord," said Yaxley in a reverent tone of voice, bowing his head, his long, white hair secured in a ponytail.

"Now," Voldemort said, getting to his feet slowly, Nagini slipping off his lap and slithering around the table, coming to a stop at Cassia's chair, and inviting herself into her lap, and Voldemort smiled, pleased at the exchange as Cassia stroked the snake gently.

_I am ssstarving_, _Casssia_, Nagini said to her.

_Not to worry_, Cassia assured her. _I asssure you that dinner isss on the way_.

"I must impress upon you that my wand is not suitable in which to kill Harry Potter," Voldemort continued in a calm manner, as he walked behind the chairs of his followers. "I wonder who would be willing to give up their wand, so that I may fulfill the prophecy, and cloak the Wizarding World in darkness forever?" He stopped right behind Lucius Malfoy's chair, and the Malfoy patriarch looked sickened at the notion that he was to be chosen. "You wand, Lucius," came the soft voice of the Dark Lord.

"Excuse me?" Lucius whispered.

"Yes, Lucius," the Dark Lord continued, his tone slightly bored. "I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."

"My lord?" Lucius demanded.

"Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand," said the Dark Lord, obviously losing patience with his loyal follower, and Lucius, reluctantly, reached into the pocket of his robes and handed the long, dark stick to Voldemort, with a silver snake embellishment at its end. "Elm and dragon heartstring?" he asked, running his hands over the thing.

"Y-yes, my lord," Lucius whispered.

"Good," Voldemort said, and swept away from Lucius, with Nagini carefully disengaging herself from Cassia's lap, and making her way back to Voldemort's side, and ultimately, his lap, when he sat down again. "And now, a bit of unfinished business," Voldemort went on, addressing the entirety of the table once again. "For those of you who are not aware, our guest this evening," he said, nodding at the woman suspended above the table, "is Charity Burbage, Muggle Studies Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is a rather disgusting excuse for a witch, and a Blood Traitor to boot. In fact, Professor Burbage is under the impression that we must _mate_ with Muggles in order to preserve the Wizarding World."

Bella hissed at the thought of it. "Disgusting, my lord!" she declared.

"Thank you, Bella. Quite," Voldemort put in, as he surveyed the professor. He smiled slightly at the sight of Charity looking helpless before him.

"Severus," Charity whispered, turning her gaze to the wizard seated beside Cassia. "Severus, please. We're friends..."

"Enough," said Voldemort, raising his wand. "_Avada Kedavra_!" he shouted, the blast of green light coming forth from the tip of his wand, and Charity fell promptly onto the table, the only Death Eater showing any outward sign of emotion being Draco. "Nagini...dinner," Voldemort declared then, and Nagini slithered onto the surface of the table, promptly advancing towards the body of the professor, and permitted her fangs to make contact with her skin.

Once she was excused, Cassia got to her feet and bowed to the Dark Lord, before making her way downstairs. She had bought a Dreamless Sleep Potion from Slugs & Jiggers in Diagon Alley, to ensure that witnessing the murder tonight wouldn't prevent her from sleep. As she made her way outside, wanting to Apparate tonight, she felt the distinct presence of someone walking behind her, but she did her best to ignore it. She passed through the gates of the manor and walked on foot for a few paces, leaving the property line behind and, once she was a good ten yards or so away, she Apparated away, but, when she arrived on the grounds of Prince Manor and turned around, she saw Severus coming upon her in the darkness.

"What do you want?" she asked him, no trace of emotion in her voice.

"I want to see how you're doing," Severus said softly. "That was a very dangerous mission to accomplish, Cassia."

Cassia shrugged. "It seemed to curry favor with the Dark Lord. I'm in the chair beside Bella now, did you notice?"

Severus's mouth thinned. "Yes, I noticed."

"I don't know what you're asking me here, then, Severus."

Severus stepped closer to her then, peering into her eyes. "Yes, you know very well what I'm asking you, Cassia. I can see it in your eyes that you haven't disassociated yourself completely from these foul acts we're forced to take part in. This is not who you are."

Cassia drew back from Severus. "You don't know a damn thing about me."

"I know you love me."

"_Loved_," she said, speaking through her teeth then as her emotions got the better of her, hot tears suspending themselves in her lashes. "I loved you, Severus."

Severus stepped forward then, and tilted her chin up. "I know you still love me."

"You don't know any—!" Cassia's lips were suddenly captured by Severus's, and she hated, hated when she wrapped her arms around him, urging him closer, as she opened her mouth beneath his, permitting his tongue to lash at hers. She felt the tears flowing down her face then, but she forced herself to push Severus back and away from her. She felt herself shaking then and proceeded to punch him all over his body. "What in Merlin's name is the matter with you?!" she screamed, staring up at him wildly. "You _killed_ him!" she shouted. "You've sold your soul to the side of the Dark, Severus, and I—!"

Severus made a grab for Cassia then, and slammed her up against the side of the manor, tasting her again. He let out a low chuckle as the numerous gasps filled Cassia's throat, which turned into moans as she allowed herself to be kissed and fondled by him. Her body yielded quickly to his, and she wrapped herself around him like a starfish, permitting Severus to hike up that sexy dress of hers, and wrap her legs around his torso.

"Severus," she whispered, "this is so wrong..."

"Which is what makes it so damned wickedly right," he whispered against her mouth. "Tell me how you feel about me..."

"I hate you," Cassia whispered, but nevertheless drew him closer, kissing him again.

"No, you don't," Severus said, unzipping his trousers and teasing her entrance with his engorged member. "I know you don't hate me, Cassia..."

"Fuck," Cassia whispered, the word coming, unbidden, from her lips like a prayer, followed by a keening wail as he entered her then. "Severus..."

"God, you feel amazing around me," Severus whispered in her mouth. "Do you like that, Cassia?" he questioned. "Do you like it when I'm inside you, stretching your folds and filling you up, bringing you amazing pleasure that nobody else on this earth can give you?"

"Oh, god," Cassia whispered, her eyes rolling back in her head as Severus pressed closer, more deeply inside her. "I hate you..."

"No, you don't," Severus countered a second time.

"Maybe... Maybe I don't," she allowed, and dug her heels into his back. "Harder, Severus, please. Fuck me harder...deeper..."

Severus let out a growl then, and pulled Cassia by the shoulders so that she was positioned better, and continued to fuck her against the side of the manor. "Tell me how you're feeling right now, Cassia—tell me!"

"No...no," she whispered then, and a cry came out of her lips then as she felt Severus explode inside her, and she came shortly thereafter. "Oh, Severus..." She whispered, slumping against him, feeling satiated when he held her against him, stroking her back.

"You love me," Severus declared, tilting her chin up, and giving her featherlight kisses upon her lips, neck, and jaw.

"Yes," Cassia whispered, taking ahold of his collar, and bringing his lips back to hers.

. . .

Cassia put on a strong Disillusionment Charm upon her arm, so as to accommodate the sleeveless green dress she would be wearing to the Weasley/Delacour wedding at the Burrow that evening. Its top was a wrapped-like contraption, and its skirt flared out in a most becoming manner. She would also be wearing a necklace with a diamond collar, and it sported a heart-shaped emerald pendant, and the lace-up, emerald green ballet flats that she had selected to wear for the occasion also complimented her attire nicely.

Cassia's gift to the couple was that of an owl from Eeylops Owl Emporium, as the couple had yet to get one for themselves, and Molly had mentioned that Bill had wanted one. The barred owl that Cassia bought for Bill and Fleur was a kind creature, and the only one to gaze at her in an intelligent manner upon her arrival at the shop, and not demand to be let out of its cage. The cage in question was a beautiful brass one, and Cassia had made sure to stock up on some Eeylops Premium Owl Treats for the creature.

"Oh!" cried a delighted Fleur when Cassia presented the cage to her. "Mon dieu! Vat a beeutiful animal!" she said, opening the cage and coaxing the thing onto her arm. "Zid zee shop tell you if zhis beeutiful creature 'ad eh name?" she asked.

"The owner said that her name was Marron," Cassia replied.

Ron turned and gazed at Cassia. "You could understand all that?"

Cassia grinned at Ron and replied, "Mais bien sûr! Le français était la troisième langue que j'ai apprise en grandissant, après l'anglais et le latin."

Ron looked shocked, while Hermione smiled. "What did all that mean?" Ron asked.

"Zhe zaid zhat eet vhas zee third language zhe learned after English and Latin," Fleur replied patiently, obviously pleased to know that Cassia spoke her language. "Cassia, peux-tu dire à Ron qu'il est un gentil petit frère, mais que j'aime Bill et que les baisers que je lui donne ne veulent rien dire?" she asked.

Cassia covered her hand with her mouth and nodded. "Oui, bien sûr, Fleur, pas de problème," she replied, and turned to Ron. "Fleur would appreciate it very much if you would cease to moon after her, because she in love with Bill, and only loves you as a little brother."

Ron turned red to his ears, while Hermione and Ginny laughed aloud, and Ron ran after them out of the room.

Cassia went upstairs shortly thereafter, excusing herself from the happy couple, who were getting to know Marron a bit better. She made her way into Charlie's room and unshrunk her trunk, before lying back on the transfigured bed. She tucked her hands beneath her head and stared up at the ceiling, relieved that she could, for now, wear Muggle attire. She wore shorts that day, and an oval-neckline shirt, plus a pair of sandals; she kept her fingers crossed for the evening ahead, knowing that the Death Eaters would surround the place. She would have to run out and onto the property, before switching out her wedding attire for her robes and newly acquired mask, which Voldemort had given her in the wake of her intentions to hand over Charity Burbage to him, four days before.

"Hey, there you are."

Cassia pushed herself upwards then, feeling a smile overtaking her features then as Charlie stepped into the room. "Charlie," she said, getting to her feet and dashing across the room towards him, and he caught her up in a bear hug, like always. "How was the trip back? Do the dragons miss you already?"

Charlie nodded. "I assume so. And it was all right."

"Flying solo?" she asked.

Charlie sighed. "Yes, but that's all right. Since you're one of Fleur's bridesmaids, I get to walk you up the aisle."

Cassia laughed. "True, and we're slated to sit together, so the evening won't be all bad." She cut herself off then, and shivered.

"What is it, Cassia?" Charlie asked, peering at her expression.

Cassia bit down hard on her bottom lip. "Look, only the Death Eaters, plus Snape, Albus, and now Hermione knows about this, but you've got to swear to keep it a secret, Charlie. I just... I need to let you know..."

"Cassia, what's going on?" Charlie whispered.

Cassia dragged her hand down her face with a shudder, before she made a grab for her right arm, and whispered, "_Finite_," slowly permitting the tattoo to return onto her skin.

Charlie drew back then, eyes wide with shock. "Cassia..."

"I told Albus that I'd do it if it came to pass," she whispered to him, her voice shaking. "You were there when he gave me the assignment, Charlie. You know that, to refuse, could mean my death. I couldn't do that; I have to keep up my loyalties to him..."

Charlie sighed, embracing Cassia immediately and holding her against him. "I'd never turn against you, Cassia, no matter what."

Cassia relaxed in Charlie's embrace, relieved to have a friend in her life like him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Mum's told us we need to help Dad, Bill, Fred, George, and Ron with the tent," Charlie went on, squeezing Cassia one last time before pulling away from her. "You up for it?"

Cassia helped the men put up the lavish tent in the backyard of the Burrow, and then became quite engrossed with assisting Molly for all the for the wedding. When the time to get ready for the evening presented itself, Hermione, Cassia, Gabrielle, and Ginny gathered in Ginny's bedroom and readied themselves. Hermione, Cassia, and Ginny were bridesmaids, while Gabrielle, as Fleur's little sister, would be her maid of honor.

The girls' walking partners soon arrived to bring them into the tent, for it appeared as if the ceremony was about to begin. Ron was escorting Hermione, Harry was escorting Ginny, Charlie was escorting Cassia, and Fred and George were escorting Gabrielle. They all walked outside into the warm summer evening, making their way from the back door of the Burrow and into the main archway of the tent, where Bill was standing proudly with Arthur, as well as the wizarding justice of the peace.

There was a moment of silence, after the music of the wizarding band had announced the presence and the walking of the members of Fleur and Bill's wedding party, as Fleur and Monsieur Delacour came into view. Fleur looked beautiful in her simple, white gown, and she practically glowed the moment that Bill set his eyes on her. Cassia smiled, holding her bouquet of Tudor roses, which Hermione and Ginny also had; Gabrielle and Fleur, however, in homage to their home country, carried bouquets of irises.

The wizard justice of the peace made quick work of marrying Bill and Fleur, who were due to move to Shell Cottage in Cornwall that very evening. As soon as the vows were completed, both Bill and Fleur charged onto the dance floor, and the wizarding band played some beautiful music as the evening continued. Charlie claimed Cassia for a dance, holding her close to him as they frolicked along with the much, and Cassia had to admit, even to herself, that she was having a lovely time.

Cassia was, however, saddened that Harry wouldn't take Ginny out for a dance, and that Ron and Hermione had broken away from one another as soon as the dancing had begun. Instead, Harry was speaking to Luna, and her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, editor and chief of _The Quibbler_, a wizarding magazine that reported about magical creatures, mostly. Cassia let out a noise of surprise as Charlie spun her around again, a delightful laugh escaping her lips. They continued in this manner, before toasting the night with some champagne and ate some of the dinner that Molly had made, and Cassia knew that things weren't going to end well.

No sooner had those thoughts crossed her mind than a blue ball of light came hurtling down from the sky, and smashed through the wedding tent. Cassia's breath caught in her throat as it slowly morphed into a lynx, and felt Charlie's hand gripping her, for she knew she was going unsteady in his arms. The lynx took a moment, almost as if it was overwhelmed from its journey from London, but it finally spoke.

"The ministry has fallen," said Kingsley to the guests. "The minister of magic...is dead," he went on, and Cassia swallowed, knowing that the time was now. "They are coming," Kingsley continued, in a whisper. "They are coming..."

Cassia looked up then, her eyes meeting Hermione's fleetingly in the crowd and she reached out and pushed her towards Ron. "Get Harry and run," she whispered to them. Once they had vanished, she turned to Charlie. "I..."

"You need to be diplomatic about this," Charlie replied, pulling her to him and pressing a kiss onto her forehead. "Go."

Cassia nodded, running out of the tent and into the darkness, getting behind a tree on the property, before she cast _Finite_ on her arm, and transfigured her wedding attire into her Death Eater robes. She pulled up the hood of the black cloak, and placed the mask firmly on her head before she darted out, appearing in a cloud of black smoke as other Death Eaters arrived, and slipped in with everyone.

Cassia ran into the tent, brandishing her wand, holding it aloft, waiting for someone, anyone, to attack her. "_Stupefy_!" she shouted, aiming right at Remus's chest, and he fell backwards, colliding with a purple wall of the tent. She advanced upon him then, wand still out, and waited for him to come to before she hissed, "Dammit, Remus, get Tonks out of here!"

Remus leaned upwards then, his eyes full of shock. "Cassia?"

"You shut your mouth," she said, pushing the wand into his chest. "Now, listen very carefully. I need you to stun me so that I go flying, and then you grab Tonks and run. Do you understand me, Remus?!" she hissed at him through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Remus replied. He suddenly knocked Cassia backwards and away from him then, and yelled out, "_Depulso_!" the white light knocking Cassia backwards.

Cassia righted herself immediately then, still holding her wand, and watched before Remus and Tonks found one another and Disapparated. She casted a few more spells and hexes before the Death Eaters moved on a retreat, and Cassia was quick to join them. She had already shrunk down her trunk so that she could leave immediately after the battle, and touched down on the grounds of Malfoy Manor a moment later. She went directly inside and up the stairs, and noticed that she was the first one back as she made her way into the meeting room, doing away with her mask and kneeling before Voldemort.

"My lord," she said.

"You fought valiantly tonight, Cassia," he commended, bringing her to her feet. "Using the Knockback Jinx against that gossip-hungry harpy Muriel was a stroke of genius."

Cassia smiled tightly. "Thank you, my lord." She willingly moved to the side when Yaxley arrived shortly thereafter, sitting in her customary seat beside Bella, who eagerly wanted to hear about the events of the evening. Cassia plastered a smile upon her face and informed her of everything, doing her best to ignore the expression of devastation in Severus's eyes.

. . .

In the wake of _Obliviating_ Dolores Umbridge about their shared past, as well as surrendering her wand temporarily, Cassia was able to use the documents that Albus had drawn up for her, letting the Wizarding World know that she was a Pure-Blood in the wake of the new regime. Both endeavors, thankfully, were successful, but Kingsley warned her about the dangerous game she was involved in.

"Don't I know it," Cassia had muttered back to him.

Minister Thicknesse had summoned her to his office in the early days of September, letting her know in his calm voice that she was the only Auror he trusted to act as a liaison on behalf of Hogwarts, given her Dark Mark. Once the monotoned yet kind voice of the new minister informed her of this, Cassia had given him a stiff nod and waited to be dismissed. When the dismissal came she ventured out of the office, her black Auror robes—commissioned to let people know she was in support of the new regime—swishing out behind her as she made her way to the Floo's downstairs.

"Morning," Cassia said, giving him a nod when he saw her.

Arthur sighed. "How are you, Cassia?"

Cassia swallowed, squeezing his hand. "As well as can be expected," she replied. "I've got to go to the school now."

Arthur nodded. "Best of luck."

Cassia gave him a tight smile. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered, before letting go of his hand and advancing upon one of the Floo's, telling it to take her directly to Headmaster Snape's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She went through effortlessly, landing in the headmaster's office casing a cursory, "_Scourgify_," as she raised her eyes to Severus's, who were flat black and emotionless. Cassia turned and looked around the room, taking in the sight of siblings, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, who were the new Deputy Headmistress and Headmaster and Muggle Studies and Dark Arts Professors respectively.

"Ah, Cassia," Severus said, and got to his feet. "You remember the Carrows."

"Of course," Cassia said, with a nod and small smile in their direction, which the siblings returned immediately. "How could one forget people so committed to our cause?"

"Indeed," Severus replied, inclining his head. "Alecto, Amycus, you may go. I suspect your classes will be looking for you shortly."

"Yes, headmaster," the siblings said as one, and moved to leave. "See you soon, Cassia," they also said as they slipped out of the office.

Cassia waited for them to leave, the main door closing behind them, and listened to them walking down the staircase outside the door. "How are you?" she asked.

Severus gave a nod. "Well enough."

Cassia sighed, her fingers knotting themselves together. "Thank you for the documentation from Albus," she whispered, looking up at the portrait of the former headmaster; like all the others at that time of the morning, they were sound asleep.

Severus nodded again. "I presume it was helpful?"

Cassia rolled her shoulders. "Yes. They are confiscating everyone's wands, and Umbridge has come up with a delightful Muggleborn Registration Commission."

Severus straightened in his chair. "You're joking."

"No," Cassia replied with a scoff. "I'm not." She straightened up then, her face turning into an emotionless mask, in case people were listening. "For the good of the Ministry of Magic, one must submit to this new authority. And, always remember," she said, feeling the tears coming out of her eyes and down her face as Severus stared at her, horror-stuck, "you've nothing to fear, if you've got nothing to hide."

. . .

Halloween arrived with a horror show all its own, which Cassia heard on _Potterwatch_, the new news station for the rebellion. Lee Jordan's voice came out of the speaker of her Wizarding Wireless radio that evening, informing those who were listening that the seventh-years' curriculum in the Dark Arts was just that, dark. Cassia went rigid in her chair as she heard the words coming from the young man, only a few years her junior.

"...and, in breaking news, direct from Hogwarts, it seems as though the lessons of the Dark Arts for the seventh-years is truly dark. They wish to prepare you to survive out there in the Wizarding World, but this, my dear listeners, is over-kill. Literally. The lesson, as reported to me by a current seventh-year Gryffindor student, was using the Cruciatus Curse on first-years. The young man steadfastly refused, and the spell was promptly turned upon him..."

Cassia launched to her feet then, switching off the radio and darting over to the Floo, which she used to propel her directly into the Great Hall at Hogwarts. She'd already changed into Muggle attire for the evening, and was sporting a chunky sweater, a knee-length skirt, tights, and black Mary Janes as she made herself known in the Great Hall. The Carrows were speaking in hushed tones among themselves at the doors, and looked up when Cassia walked purposely over to the two of them.

"Ah, good evening, Cassia," said Alecto.

"How are you—" Amycus tried.

"Cut the shit, both of you," Cassia growled back, and both siblings looked surprised at the sharpness from her tone, especially because it was directed at them. "Be honest with me, right here, right now," she went on, positively glowering at the two of them. "Did you or did you not use the Cruciatus Curse on a seventh-year?"

Amycus drew himself up to his full height. "It was the lesson today to demonstrate the curse, and to perform it on first-year students. Neville Longbottom," he went on, growling the name, "even though he is a Pure-Blood, opted not to listen to the rules, and personally defied by. In his refusal, he was breaking school rules."

"The punishment was just," Alecto put in, her voice prim.

"No, it wasn't!" Cassia cried out then, glaring at the both of them. "It's torture, and you both know it!"

Amycus narrowed his eyes at Cassia. "Better be careful, Cassia," he told her, never raising his voice. "We know very well that you're an Auror, but you're a Dark Witch. Never forget that you are a part of our cause."

Cassia's nails bit at the palms of her hands. "Don't tell me to be careful," she growled back at the two of them. "I never signed up to torture children."

Alecto stepped forward, her dark eyes blazing. "If the Dark Lord asks you to jump, Cassia, your only question should be, 'How high?' We've signed up for this, Cassia, and, as evidenced by _this_," she hissed, grabbing ahold of Cassia's arm and rolling up the sleeve of her sweater, and proceeded to finger the Dark Mark, "you are more than committed."

Cassia glared at her. "I will tell the DMLE—!"

"And they will go to Pius, who will merely authorize it," said Amycus, sounding bored with the conversation. "Face it, Cassia. You cannot win."

Cassia ripped her arm away, her heart beating erratically in her chest, at the notion that she could literally do nothing. "You both are a lost cause," she said, and pushed past them, intending to leave the Great Hall, and to see Severus, for the purpose of having it out with him.

"Oh, Cassia?" said Alecto from behind her.

"What?" Cassia demanded through her teeth, turning around.

"_Crucio_!" Alecto shouted then, her wand aiming for Cassia's face.

It all happened so quickly, that Cassia barely had time to scream as the curse hit her, and she clutched at her right cheek, where it had blasted her. Finally, a scream tore through her throat at the feeling and Cassia ran, leaving the Great Hall behind. Clutching at her cheek, Cassia, blinded by tears and pain, ran down the corridors and towards the staircases, which she took directly up to Severus's office.

Severus got to his feet as soon as Cassia stepped over the threshold of his office, and peered at her in a moment of confusion. "What did you...?"

"The Carrows did it," she replied, her voice shaking from pain.

"I never liked them, Severus," said Albus's voice from his portrait; he was leaning forward in his golden throne, looking concerned, and Severus briefly looked over at him. "Couple of frightening little snakes they were, with an equally frightening penchant for the Dark Arts, to the point that it bordered on disturbing."

"Not now, Albus," Severus said, and turned back to Cassia. "Let me see," he asked, and gently pulled her hand away. "Oh, dear Merlin!"

"Cassia!" Albus cried out.

Cassia bit her lip, the tears suspended on her lashes as she dashed past Severus, and into his bedroom, before launching herself at the door of the attached bathroom. She gazed at her reflection in her mirror, and her mouth fell open at the trio of scars on her cheek, which reminded her of an animal attack. All were bleeding profusely, and it certainly didn't help matters that she was crying. Cassia gripped the edge of the sink then, bending over it with a small wail, until a soft hand on her shoulder seemed to calm her wits.

"What happened?" Severus whispered.

Cassia bit her lip then, meeting his eyes in the mirror for a moment, before she allowed herself to be turned around. "I heard about the Carrows telling the seventh-years to use the Cruciatus Curse on first-years in the Dark Arts," she said softly.

"Cassia..."

"I confronted them," she said, her voice trembling. "You know I don't stand for tortures on children, Severus. I can't. I won't."

Severus nodded. "I know." He sighed. "Look, Cassia, that is an Unforgivable Curse and, as such, I am unable to do much. I can make it stop bleeding, and give you something for the pain, but the fact remains..."

"I'm scarred forever?" she asked, a bitter laugh escaping her throat. "Hey, I mean, it had to happen sometime, didn't it? With my background and upbringing... Besides, it's not like it's my first Cruciatus mark. Now I just look as ugly as I perceive myself to be..."

"_Don_'_t_ you dare say that," Severus said, his voice firm as he summoned some Wiggenweld Potion and handed it to her.

Cassia sighed, opening the vial and downing it. "It's true."

"No, it's not," Severus told her, glaring down at her. He took a cloth and wet it, before pressing it onto Cassia's face, and she winced. "Are you all right?"

Cassia cleared her throat. "I've... I've had worse. And Alecto only got me once, so I assume that I'll be all right..."

Severus kept the cloth pressed to her face until the bleeding had stopped, and then grimaced as he pulled it away.

Cassia gave another bitter laugh. "That bad, huh?"

Severus stepped forward then, dragging the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. "You are absolutely beautiful," he declared, before leaning down and capturing his lips with hers, and rested his forehead against hers. "Why didn't you run?"

"Wh... What?" she whispered, confused by the question.

"Why didn't you run?" he repeated in a patient manner. "I mean, you could've taken the twins and just gotten out of here. Why didn't you? It's not like you have any prior allegiance to this country, Cassia..."

Cassia sighed. "Apart from Samantha and Alabaster, plus the Willows family, everyone I loved in America is dead," she told him simply. "My grandmother, Elisabetta, was the only other person who gave a damn about me, before I started at Ilvermorny, and then she was murdered by that No-Maj-Born family," said whispered. "The pros outweighed the cons when it came to staying here, and you had everything to do with that, Severus."

Severus sighed, shutting his eyes. "I _never_ wanted to bring you into a war..."

Cassia lifted her arms then, wrapping them loosely around his neck. "Another war was on the horizon, Severus. It would've happened with or without me, and I know by now how to handle myself... This aside," she said, and gestured towards her cheek.

Severus stiffened, tightening his grip around her. "I don't want to lose anyone else..."

Cassia stood on her toes then, and pressed her lips to his. "Neither do I."

Severus looked down at her then, his face more open than she'd ever seen it, in her seven years of knowing him. "Stay with me," he whispered.

Cassia didn't even hesitated as she whispered, "Always."


	18. Swords Into Ploughshares

November passed with Cassia putting the Fidelus Charm over Prince Manor, as well as Severus Obliviating the Carrows before they reported Cassia's insubordination to Voldemort. Cassia was relieved at such a turn of events, for she had been having nightmares for the past several weeks in the wake of the attack. They were intermingled with memories of her grandfather attacking her with the Torture Curse, as well as Alecto Carrow's recent attack, and Amycus standing there with a dark expression on his face.

Cassia arrived at Hogwarts on Christmas Night and went straight to the Room of Requirement, where she had been summoned by Neville and Luna. She had gotten closer to both of them after Alecto had cursed her, and since Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were no longer there. She was embraced by the seventh-year Gryffindor and the sixth-year Ravenclaw in turn before she was motioned over to where Lee Jordan sat, and greeted him in a friendly manner.

"You know, you don't have to do this," Lee told her.

Cassia smiled at him. "You're best friends with my brothers, and it's the right thing to do," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders. "I'm ready. It's all right."

Lee bit his lip. "You're sure?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I will put on a British accent, however, if it's all the same to you, just so that nobody knows it's me, who don't know me well."

Lee squeezed Cassia's shoulder. "Of course. These are dark and dangerous times."

Cassia turned towards the radio. "All right, then. Let's do it."

Lee nodded, turning on the Wizarding Wireless and moving the microphone towards him. "Hello everyone and Happy Christmas to all of you," he said. "This is River, and I'm here with a new guest tonight who is on our side. Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Certainly, River, thank you very much," Cassia replied, her voice as British as the came, as the microphone was pushed towards her. "Please call me 'Prophetess'. I'm here to let you all know that, despite all not being as it seems, please, please be safe during these holidays."

"Were you frightened to receive the summons, Prophetess?" Lee asked.

Cassia shook her head. "No, River, of course not. I have many friends still attending Hogwarts, and even though I'm a Half-Blood, I will not allow my Blood Status to get in the way of loyalty towards people I care about."

"You speak of 'loyalty'," River said with a smile. "Are you a Hufflepuff?"

"No, I'm not," Cassia laughed into the microphone. "I was sorted into Gryffindor."

"Perhaps that is where your bravery stems from, Prophetess," Lee went on, and Cassia shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "Would you say that you're on the side of the Greater Good?"

"Always, River," Cassia replied. "I think that we were all given missions when Albus Dumbledore died, and, now more than ever, we must not lose hope, as there are people still within the Ministry of Magic who want the Light to triumph over the Dark."

"Thank you for being here with us, Prophetess," Lee said, pulling the microphone back to where it had previously been. "As she said, please remain vigilant throughout your holidays, and, as always, we're watching you."

Cassia thanked Lee for the opportunity before she got to her feet, and walked towards a blank wall of the room. "Safe passage, please," she said, running her fingers along the stone, until a door appeared. She lifted her hand to Neville, Luna, and Lee before she opened the door and slipped thought it. She leaned against it for a moment before pushing herself away from the wall, and it vanished. Looking around, she saw that she was in Severus's bedroom, and she smirked at the notion that the room truly did provide what she required.

Severus, having heard the door, came out of his office and into the room, and smiled in happiness when he saw that Cassia was there waiting for him. Severus crossed the room then, and gathered up Cassia in his arms and, in a moment that Cassia believed to be extremely out of character for him, swung her around. "Happy Christmas," Severus whispered, before lowering his lips to hers.

Cassia pushed back slightly from him then, and stared at him. "Who are you and what have you done to Severus Snape?" she asked. "Is Polyjuice Potion at work here?"

Severus shook his head. "No, of course not, Cassia. I'm just realizing how precious certain moments are these days."

Cassia blinked. "Wait... If that's you telling me you don't think you'll survive the war, Severus, then I don't... I can't..."

"No, no, no," Severus said, pulling Cassia closer and cradling her against him. "That's not it at all, Cassia, I swear it. It's just that, with war comes many unpredictability's, and I want to savor my moments with you."

Cassia sighed, relaxing against him. "All right, then. Well, I suppose that, since it's Christmas, we should celebrate properly," she said, reaching inside her winter cloak and unshrinking the gift she'd gotten for him, and handed it over.

Severus smiled at the green wrapping paper adorned with a silver ribbon, which he pulled slightly to unknot before carefully unwrapping the parcel he held. Severus's eyebrows raised then at the first-edition tome he had in his hand, which was a copy of _Asiatic Anti-Venoms_. He raised his eyes to Cassia then, confusion riddling his expression, almost as if to ask her why she would think to purchase such a thing for him.

"As you said, war is full of unpredictability's," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders and a smile on her lips.

Severus snapped his fingers then, and a red parcel wrapped with gold ribbon sailed into his hands, before he handed it over to Cassia. "Happy Christmas."

Cassia smiled, touched, and unwrapped it, remembering the title of the exposed book, _Secrets of the Darkest Art_, from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library. "Is this a code for something, Severus?" she asked.

Severus smiled. "Perhaps."

Cassia lifted her hand and banished both books onto Severus's bedside table, before advancing upon Severus then and gently pushing him onto the bed behind him.

Severus smirked up at her. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Cassia bit down hard on her bottom lip, which caused Severus to stiffen beneath her. "Well, I simply thought that we could get to the best part of Christmas," she said, but slowly began to move off and away from him. "Of course, if you don't want to... Oh!" she said as Severus grabbed her around her waist, and flipped her over onto her back; her heart was pounding in her ears at the sudden movement, and they stared up at one another.

"I would never not want to, Cassia," Severus whispered.

Cassia smiled slowly from beneath him then, and opened her legs for him. "Would you care to test that theory, Severus?" she whispered.

Severus's eyes flashed with desire. "Always," he whispered, leaning down and capturing his lips with hers.

. . .

Cassia was aware that Voldemort was going to commit another murder that early-March day, so when she was at the ministry that early evening, she didn't understand when her knees suddenly buckled and she felt ill. Tonks found her in that state, and immediately told her to go home, and that she would tell Kingsley to take care of it. Cassia limped to the hearths with Tonks's help, and gripped onto the side paneling before she tossed the powder into the flames, and was quickly swallowed up, before she was deposited, roughly, in Severus's office.

"Oh, that's going to leave a mark," she muttered to herself.

"Cassia?" Severus asked, stepping forward and hauling her to her feet, whereupon he almost dropped her because of her state. "Dear Merlin, what's going on?!" he demanded.

Cassia tried gasping for air, but it was extremely difficult to do so, so Severus hauled her into his bedroom and lay her down on his bed. She was trembling, so he conjured a blanket on top of her so he wouldn't have to move her again, and summoned Blood-Replenisher, Draught of Peace, Grand Wiggenweld Potion, Invigoration Draught, and Star Grass Salve, which he promptly gave to her. Cassia shuddered the invasion of various potions in her system, but the deliriousness and pain quickly subsided, so much so that she was able to sit up.

"What happened to me?" Cassia whispered, her voice trembling.

Severus gazed at Cassia for a moment, his eyes not leaving hers. "That's what I'd like to ask you, Cassia," he replied.

Cassia swallowed. "The Dark Lord... He was set to kill Grindelwald today," she said, managing to form the words. "I... Nagini went with him, and used our mind link to tell me. When that happened, that's when all of this," she said, gesturing to her body, "happened. I don't know why, but Tonks told me to leave and go home..."

"You were right to come straight to me," Severus replied, reaching out and cupping the side of Cassia's face in a gentle manner. "I think I know why this happened."

Cassia blinked, raising her eyes to Severus's. "You do?"

Severus nodded. "I believe it was a Vinculum Sanguis," he said quietly.

"A... A _Blood_ Bond?" she whispered, shaking her head. "I... I don't understand. How could I have a Blood Bond to Grindelwald unless...?"

Severus remained silent for a moment, before he left the room, returning a moment later with Albus's portrait. "How long have you known?" he asked, looking at the former headmaster, and Cassia lowered her eyes to the portrait as well.

"Since the moment she stepped through the Hogwarts gates for the first time," Albus replied, a sad expression on his face. "I just couldn't believe it was her..."

"Who?!" Cassia demanded, looking from Albus to Severus and back again. "I don't understand what's going on here..."

"Cassia," Albus said gently, which caused Cassia to stop spiraling. "Were you aware of much of your mother's life before you were born?"

Cassia swallowed, attempting to remember, and recalled a conversation between her mother and her aunt, Dorothea, one afternoon over cups of tea. "She traveled a lot, but that's not so unusual for people of means," she replied with a shrug. "Mom was a socialite, and, as the unmarried girl of a powerful family, it was appropriate for her to travel abroad and try and seek out other friends for herself, with relating Blood Statuses of course... Why does it matter what she did anyhow? She was a terrible mother..."

"Ah, I cannot say why that was, my dear girl," Albus said sadly. "But do you know if she ever went to England?"

Cassia swallowed. "Yes. She lived her for a time in the late-1960's, in an effort to see what it would be like to live away from home..."

"Do you know about her travels?" Albus asked her.

"She... She had an ill-fated romance with another wizard," Cassia said with a shrug. "She never went into too much detail, just that he was somewhere where it was difficult for her to get to several times over. She said it became much too much, and that she just wanted to come home and find someone reliable to love..."

"Cassia, are you familiar with Nurmengard?" Albus wanted to know.

Cassia shrugged at the former headmaster. "She said that that's where he lived, and that it was a castle. But that's impossible, isn't it?" she asked. "I mean, it's a prison, for one thing. And, for another, Grindelwald was the only permanent resident, so I don't see how..." Cassia cut herself off then, her mind suddenly opened to the past, as she considered her mother.

She saw a woman with black hair and brown eyes, stealing up to the high stone fortress in the dead of night. It was raining, hard, and she was looking around, gipping onto the edges of the hood upon her cloak, before she slipped into the yard surrounded the building. She incapacitated the guards, down one corridor and the next, until several sleeping bodies littered each floor. It was then that she let herself into the door in the highest tower, where a wizard sat, presumably waiting for her, and she locked the door shut behind them, before making a grab for him and kissing him passionately.

Other memories followed, and Cassia saw her mother swollen with child, eyes red, as she gripped something in her perfectly-manicured hands. She was trembling with sorrow, and the letter was made up of slant-like handwriting. It told her that, because she had figured out that she was expecting a daughter, that no acknowledgement would be forthcoming on the paternal side of the family, and that she would have to seek a name for the child elsewhere. It was then that she crumpled the letter and looked into the mirror, and glared down at her belly, almost as if she had made up her mind to hate the child for merely existing...

"Cassia?"

Cassia blinked then, and found herself back in Severus's bedroom at Hogwarts. She lowered her eyes to the portrait, and Albus was smiling sadly up at her. "You... You were in love with him," she said quietly, and Severus's eyes widened as Albus nodded slowly.

"I still am," he said sadly.

Cassia slowly got up from the bed then, and crossed the room to the en suite bathroom, and gazed at herself in the mirror. "I don't look like him," she whispered.

"You have his nose," Albus said from his frame in the next room. "Plus, his eyes. Not the color, but the power behind them."

Cassia turned around slowly then, gripping the sink in her hands so as to prevent herself from toppling over. "So... So that means I really am a Pure-Blood," she whispered, her voice shaking at the enormity of it all.

Albus nodded. "Yes, my dear girl. And, by all right, Nurmengard Castle now belongs to you, as you are the sole heir of the Grindelwald family."

Cassia worried her lower lip. "Cassia Grindelwald... No," she said, and Severus looked surprised as she readily rejected the nickname. "Johnathan Serbus raised me from the time I was born, and never let on that he thought I wasn't his child. Even if he knew, which I can't speak to, he never made me feel less-than Noah, Liam, or Edgar. I shall keep his name," she said, and straightened herself up then.

"You shall remain Cassia Serbus, then?" Albus asked.

Cassia shrugged, and gave a small smile to Severus before she turned to look at Albus. "Until or unless someone gives me just cause to change it, yes."

. . .

_Help us._

The two words had shocked and shattered Cassia to the core, and she took in the pain via her thunderbolt as she felt Harry's call for help. It sounded desperate, and she knew that it was now or never. It had been a bright, April day for the vast majority of the hours she had been at her post, but, now, the clouds had overtaken everything and blocked the sun, filling her completely with dread.

Biting her lip, she went down the stairs, not wanting to call attention to herself by requesting a lift, and moved directly to the Apparition Point at the ministry, before transfiguring her black Auror robes into something more neutral, but keeping the boots—damn, she loved those boots. It was with a mighty—and slightly painful—thump that she landed in the depths of Malfoy Manor, which she only recognized because of the squeaks of Dobby the house-elf, as well as the fact that she had stood guard over prisoners here before.

"Dear god, _that_ could've been easier," she muttered ruefully, dusting herself off as she stepped into view. "Harry! Ron! Luna?! Ollivander?!" she cried out then, looking them all over, and the old wandmaker waved to her feebly.

"Great Mistress Cassia Serbus, mistress of Dobby's cousin Perry!" squeaked the elf, dashing forward and throwing his arms around her legs. "You've come at last! Master Aberforth said he had another ally!"

"Cassia, so good of you to come," Luna said, her tone reserved yet relieved as she crossed over to her and embraced her.

Harry, once Luna had finished, rushed forward and pulled Cassia into a hug, and she hugged him back affectionately. "How'd you get in?"

"Auror training's a bitch," she muttered with a slight laugh, shaking her head as she gave Ron a hug as well. "Moody he..." She cut herself off then as her eyes filled with tears as she thought of something else. "Where's...?" A scream filled her ears then, followed by shouts which could only be Bellatrix. "Holy shit... That's Hermione?!"

"Yeah, Lestrange has got her," Ron said, gnashing his teeth evilly. "What are we gonna do? We have to help her..."

Cassia swallowed then, knowing that she had a choice to make. "I know one thing we can do, but you have to know that I am always on the side of the Light. Dumbledore, he... He gave me a mission after the graveyard," she said, looking directly at Harry.

Harry swallowed. "What kind of mission?"

"A mission that broke me in two," she replied, revulsion hanging on her every word. "I held off as long as I could until..." She grabbed ahold of her arm then and rolled up the sleeve of the green turtleneck she wore, exposing her Dark Mark, which made Harry, Ron, and Dobby draw back in fear.

"She's telling the truth," Luna put in, her tone reserved. "Cassia has always been on the side of the Light, and this has been difficult for her."

"She's right," Cassia assured Harry and Ron, plus the elf. "I've... I had to lie about my identity and give up my children. Trust me, none of this has been easy, but if you can trust in me, like you always have, I'll do my very best to get you out of here in one piece."

"Hermione, too," Ron said, his brown eyes filled with remorse.

"Of course, Hermione, too," Cassia said, rolling her eyes. "She knew about it," she said, as she rolled her sleeve back down, which caused Harry and Ron to look at each other. "She swore to keep it a secret. Seems as if she did." She swallowed then and stepped towards the gate that held them inside the dungeon, and turned back to them. "I'm doing this for all of you," she whispered, and let herself out of there, by simply walking through the gate and up the stairs. She breezed into the main foyer of Malfoy Manor, and took in the scene, her eyes and body language radiating coldness. "Caught a Mudblood, Bellatrix?" she said, crossing her arms, as if she was bored with the entire situation, as she went to stand near Narcissa, who patted her affectionately on the arm, Lucius, who looked sick, and Draco, who looked fearful.

Bellatrix looked up at Cassia, and smiled at her friend. "You're very knowledgeable on torture, Cassia, and have proved beneficial in the past."

Cassia raised in eyebrow; indeed, it still made her sick that she had been the one tasked with luring Charity Burbage to Voldemort, as well as thinking up 'clever' ways to punish the former Muggle Studies professor. "I would have to agree with that assessment, yes."

"This one," Bellatrix said, jabbing her hand in the direction of Hermione, "refuses to cough up information about why she went into my vault."

Cassia blinked; even she was shocked that the three teenagers had managed such a thing, but, of course, she didn't say so. "Vaults are warded against anyone but the goblins, family, direct heirs, or authorized house-elves from getting in," she said, thinking aloud. "The only way those brats could've possibly gotten in would be the Imperius Curse or Polyjuice Potion." There was also the matter of Harry's invisibility cloak, but Cassia wasn't about to cough up that little tidbit of information to Voldemort's wannabe mistress.

Bellatrix nodded, her eyes appreciative for Cassia's thinking. "Nevertheless, the notion that a filthy Mudblood has magic at all is just unnatural."

"Quite," Cassia said.

"Perhaps _you_ could think of something to teach her a lesson," Bellatrix said, stepping closer to Cassia, her dark eyes wide with madness. "There must be something I can do. I've already immobilized her, so, never fear, the little bitch won't be getting away. Severus told me she was an insufferable know-it-all while in school, so taking her down a peg wouldn't hurt." She mulled it over for a moment. "Perhaps if I slashed her vocal cords..."

"Bella, if I may," Cassia said, and Bellatrix softened at the familiar pet name, "perhaps something a little less obvious, if you catch my drift. We, of course, don't want _her kind_ practicing magic at all, but perhaps allow someone else commit that act. Perhaps give her the true moniker she deserves, in a place that will be obvious." Cassia felt sick; she couldn't believe she had fully integrated herself into the Dark Lord's followers but, judging by the look on Bellatrix's face, her words were taken to heart.

"An excellent idea, Cassia! Simply marvelous!" she declared, and removed her silver dagger from her robes, crossed over to Hermione, and proceeded to slash at the inner side of her left arm, and Hermione, struggling against the immobility charm, screamed and writhed against the floor, and Cassia felt something within her snap.

"Stop!" she said then, the word ripping from her throat as she broke away from Narcissa's constant petting as she strode forward. "_STOP_! Can't you see that's killing her?! Are you fucking delusional?!" she cried out then, attempting to knock Bellatrix out of the way, but Lucius immediately had hold of her, and pulled her back.

"I knew it was too good to be true, Bella," he said, yanking her lengthwise against him, his hand at her throat, pinning her. "She was always too good to be true..."

"Get her upstairs! Wormtail!" she hollered, and the rat-like man stepped forward from the shadows and took ahold of Cassia from Lucius's grip. "Get her upstairs, now. And, since you've been such a good little rat, you have my permission to have a little fun with her."

Wormtail nodded. "Yes, mistress."

"Oh, and one more thing," Bella said, crossing the room and yanking Cassia's wand out of her pocket, and snapped it effortlessly in two. "She won't need that anymore." She hesitated for a moment before she stuck her own wand into Cassia's face. "_Silencio_!" she shouted then, and Cassia felt her throat go numb, and when she opened her mouth to scream, no sound came out of there. "Good," Bella purred at her work. "Take her upstairs _now_, Wormtail!" she shouted then, and Cassia was promptly dragged away, while Bella turned her attention back to Hermione, as tears came out of Cassia's eyes.

Wormtail found a room upstairs, which Cassia recognized as one of the many guest rooms, and threw her into it. Cassia couldn't cry out, but tears blinded her vision as Wormtail grabbed ahold of her, and proceeded to yank down her jeans, and pull her legs apart. Cassia attempted to focus on her breathing, and she couldn't stand this, the pain...

Without thinking, Cassia kicked out at Wormtail, who grunted and felt to his knees behind her, only to reach out to grab her again. Cassia turned over and moved herself backwards with her feet and palms of her hands, wanting to put as much distance between them as possible. The rat-like man seemed to be losing his temper, so he reached out then and grabbed ahold of Cassia's throat, likely wanting to immobilize her, so that she wouldn't struggle in his attack. Cassia struggled to keep breathing as she attempted to wiggle out of his grip, which is when Wormtail went limp and collapsed on top of her.

Cassia thrashed out from beneath his body, and tried to find a pulse, but could find none. Her vocal cords were bruised from Wormtail's attempt at strangling her, Cassia made a grab for his wand and banished it, knowing that, based on the sounds coming from below meant that the trio had gotten back together. Cassia yanked up her jeans and straightened herself out, knowing full well that the worst was yet to come.

After a scream and the tell-tale sound of someone or something Disapparating, Cassia heard Bella's shoes on the staircase, and plastered herself up against the wall behind her. Once Bella got herself into the room, she screamed at the sight of Wormtail's body, and her dark eyes locked fully on Cassia then.

"How _could_ you kill him without magic?!" Bella screamed, crossing the room and grabbing ahold of the collar of Cassia's shirt, causing her head to smack against the wall. "What on earth could _you_ possibly do to warrant such a power?! You're_ nothing_!" Bella went on, and threw Cassia, hard, onto the floor. "Nothing but a filthy, American, Gryffindor who is a traitor! You will make a fine addition to the people I've killed!" Bella declared, and made a grab for Cassia then, holding her aloft, her feet unable to touch the ground. "What? Haven't you got anything to say?" Bella demanded.

Cassia squirmed in her grip, quickly losing her strength. She felt lightheaded, and wanted Bella to let her go desperately.

Bella, meanwhile, had yanked up her right sleeve, and glared at the mark on her arm. "You don't even deserve to bear this," she told her then, her silver dagger magically appearing in her hand, as she began to slice at Cassia's skin.

Cassia felt the warm sensation of blood pooling out onto her arm, and felt shuddering breaths attempting to escape her throat. She shut her eyes in an effort to distract herself from the pain as tears came out of her eyes. She struggled, which only made Bella angrier, and the witch cut more deeply into her arm without hesitation. _No_, _no_, _no_! Cassia thought in her mind, and suddenly became convinced to break through the Silencing Cham. "_STOP IT_!" she suddenly yelled, the numbness evaporating from her vocal chords as her eyes snapped open, and felt silvery light coming out of her hands, knowing that she had used a Banishing Charm, and threw Bella back and away from her, whereupon the witch was thrown onto the bed, and was quiet. Cassia fell to her knees then, the blood pooling around her, before she launched herself upwards then, finding the strength to open the window behind her, and became sick in a portion of Cissa's garden. She slammed the window shut then and leaned against the wall. "Not now," she whispered, and covered her face with her hands. "Anytime but now..."

The door came crashing open then, and Cassia gasped at the sight of Severus standing before her, a shocked expression on his face. He turned to Bella then, and casted a cursory, "_Immobulus_," to ensure she couldn't get up and bother them, and crossed the room. "Cassia," he whispered, and knelt before her, which is when he caught sight of Wormtail.

"I killed him, I think," Cassia said, biting her lip. "Bella snapped my wand," she whispered, and felt more tears flowing from her eyes. "I couldn't...couldn't stop her..."

Severus took note of her arm then, and swore under his breath. "_Vulnera Sanentur_," he whispered then, his voice reverent. "_Vulnera Sanentur_." Once Severus had finished, the deep scar of the gash that Bella had made on her arm remained above the mark, and Severus gathered Cassia into his arms. "We've got to get you out of here," Severus whispered, and tipped some purple liquid down Cassia's throat. "Sleep, love," he whispered then, but, as Cassia's eyes grew heavy, and she curled into Severus's arms as they Apparated out of there, she couldn't be sure if she had heard him correctly.

. . .

The perpetual state of exhaustion refused to leave Cassia as the days went by, and she was finally permitted to return home from St. Mungo's three days after Bellatrix's attack. Her Dark Mark had faded from the moment she stopped Bellatrix from going after Hermione, letting the staff at the wizarding hospital know that she was firmly on the side of the light. Once Cassia returned to Prince Manor, she found Perry feeding Fawkes some lunch and, remembering the doctor's orders, asked for Perry to make her a sandwich.

"Mistress Cassia's mail," said Perry, handing over a tray with a sandwich, glass of water, and a pile of letters.

Cassia thanked Perry with a small smile and a pat on her head. She took a quarter of the sandwich—chicken pesto, one of her favorites—and chewed it slowly as she picked through the mail she'd missed. One was from Tonks, another from Remus, one from Severus, one from Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and, finally, a small box from Ollivander. Cassia opened the box first and was amazed at its contents; inside was a note, which she hurriedly moved to read.

_Thank you for your distraction during our imprisonment at the manor. Without you, I don't believe I would have survived much longer. As a token of my appreciation and gratitude, please accept this new wand. It is ebony, thirteen and a quarter inches, with Horned Serpent Horn, and it is unyielding. I thank you again, Cassia Serbus._

_Garrick Ollivander_

Cassia slowly lifted the wand, and felt something humming from within. She bit her bottom lip then, and wondered if it would work for her. "_Accio_ sandwich," she said, and a second quarter of the thing came zooming quickly to her hand. "Lovely," she said, sticking the quarter in her mouth as she put the wand into her pocket, and moved to the other letters.

The letter from Severus was asking to know exactly when she returned home. Cassia sent Severus a direct Patronus, telling him not to contact her, and it would be best to lay low for the time being, at least. The letters from Remus and Tonks were riddled with questions, asking to know if the rumors were true that she'd deflected from the Dark at last. Cassia sent them a Patronus as well, confirming this, and letting them know to stay safe. At last, she held the letter from Harry, Ron, and Hermione; she felt overwhelming sadness hit her thunderbolt then, not for the first time recently, but especially so as she held the letter.

_Cassia,_

_Let us be the first to tell you that we are so relieved to hear via Potterwatch and from St. Mungo's that you managed to get out of the manor. Fawkes found us and was able to bring this letter to you. We were unaware that Dumbledore had left him to you in his will but, I suppose, time for chit-chat is limited these days._

_We are all safe. Nearly all of us, at least._

_Before we were able to escape entirely from the manor, we instructed Dobby to take Luna and Mr. Ollivander to a safe house. We then managed to get help via a wand—which we knew to formally belong to Wormtail—which unlocked our prison. Upon going upstairs, we found Bellatrix torturing Hermione, and figured out that you'd been dragged off upstairs. We got Hermione out of her clutches, and Dobby managed to get us away._

_However, Bellatrix's dagger got into the mix of things and, when we arrived at the safe house, it was far too late. The dagger got into Dobby's heart, and the little elf died in my arms. I buried him properly, without magic, on the grounds of the safe house, where we will remain until it becomes safer, and we have the strength, to make a move again._

_We know that you were always on our side, Cassia. I'm sorry we had to figure it out this late in the game, but at least I understand now. With Dumbledore, you cannot refuse a mission so large, and you were only playing a part. Now, I can only hope for everyone possible to remain safe, for I am unsure if I can stand to lose others I care about._

_Harry Potter_

Cassia felt another wave of nausea then, as tears blinded her vision. She set the quarter of the sandwich down and folded up the letter, shaking her head. She brought her knees upwards and onto the couch, tucking them beneath her chin, shuddering as sadness overtook her, unknowing what to say to Perry.

. . .

Cassia stumbled out of the makeshift Floo in the Room of Requirement in early May, and looked around the room, spotting Ron, Hermione, Kingsley, Remus, Bill, Fleur, Molly, Arthur, Charlie, Fred, George, and many other supporters of the Light. She charged forward upon her arrival, greeting everyone in turn, and was told that they would be fighting that night.

"I'm in," Cassia said immediately, pleased to be of service, and no longer hiding in the shadows as a double agent.

Kingsley led them downstairs and into the Great Hall, and through the double doors, where Cassia was surprised to see Harry facing off against Severus, berating him. Cassia swallowed as Charlie took her hand; of course, she couldn't get involved, not now. She had made her decision from the moment that Bellatrix had gone too far in attacking Hermione in front of her, and she was not about to change her mind now.

"How dare you stand where he stood!" Harry yelled at Severus. "Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!"

Severus drew her wand then, and Charlie held Cassia back, especially after Minerva moved to stand with Harry. Curses were flung back and forth between them, until, finally, Severus gathered the Carrows, and himself, via Apparition, and flew the three of them out the back window. The window, promptly, shattered, shedding some moonlight onto the dais, as the glass glowed upon the floor.

"Coward!" Minerva screamed after him, which made Cassia's heart squeeze.

Cassia remained beside Charlie as Harry told Minerva he needed time, time, she presumed, to find the rest of the Horcruxes. Once Harry, Ron, and Hermione had left the Great Hall, Minerva assigned task forces to various points of the castle to put up shields and protect them. Cassia and Charlie were assigned to the astronomy tower, and the two of them ran out of the Great Hall and up the many flights of stairs towards their destination.

"_Repello Inimicum_," Cassia said, raising her wand, and a blue-white light came bursting forth from its tip.

"_Protego Totalum_," Charlie continued, a haze zooming out of the tip of his wand and meeting Cassia's charm in the sky.

"_Protego Horribilis_," Cassia went on, a yellow light coming in a mighty blast from the tip of her wand and continuing to form a tapestry in the sky.

"_Fianto Duri_," Charlie whispered, right after Cassia's last charm, another blue-ish white light going skyward.

"_Protego Maxima_," Cassia concluded, a white light darting forth, so that their section was finally filled up with the shield. Cassia grasped the bar which Albus had fallen from, nearly a year ago, and felt... Well, frightened. She knew that everything that night would change, and she also knew that many secrets were still yet to be revealed.

"What are you thinking about?" Charlie asked.

Cassia wetted her lips and turned to face him. "If... If something goes wrong tonight..."

Charlie shook his head, yanking Cassia towards him, and not letting her go. "You're my sister, Cassia, and I'm not letting go of you that easily."

"What if there's no choice?" she whispered, her voice cracking slightly at the end. "What if, when push comes to shove, and things hit the fan...?"

"Then things'll hit the fan," Charlie declared, pulling back from her, but retaining his grip upon her shoulders. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"There's a reason that I'm so powerful..."

Charlie searched her face. "All right? Many witches and wizards are powerful..."

"Yes, but I have so many things whirring through my mind since I discovered that I was a witch, some of them difficult to explain. For example, me speaking Parseltongue. It's an inherited or cursed trait."

Charlie nodded. "Okay...? What are you telling me here, Cassia?"

"Johnathan Serbus is not my biological father," Cassia whispered.

Charlie blinked. "He's not?"

"No," Cassia replied, shaking her head. "He... You-Know-Who killed him in March."

"Your biological father?"

Cassia swallowed. "Yes. He killed him for information."

"Who did he kill?"

Cassia's eyes locked with Charlie's. "Gellert Grindelwald," she whispered, and Charlie drew back from her automatically. "He could speak Parseltongue."

"And your speaking Siren and being a Seer?"

"My great-great grandmother was a Seer, so it was inherited as well," Cassia replied. "As for me being a Siren, I think my grandmother, Elisabetta, was one. She was frequently singing to herself, and I was the only one who ever understood the words clearly. To others, it just sounded like nonsense vocalization—my cousins and brothers said so."

"The Black Lake," Charlie whispered then.

Cassia blinked. "What?"

"You could rally the mermaids!" Charlie cried out then. "I'll guard the tower. You go down to the lake and try to communicate with them."

Cassia nodded, breathless, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her Air Wave Gold, and whispering, "_Finite_," over it, and it suddenly grew back to its original size. "I'll be back soon, Charlie!" she called over her shoulder, hopping up upon the bar of the tower, and springing onto her broom, before soaring off and into the night. She flew directly towards the lake, and hovered over it, and called out then, her voice clear in the darkness. "_Hello, mer-people, please come out and greet your sister_," she said, hoping that it was enough.

A frightening-looking mer-person made itself known, its strawberry-blonde hair and terrifying eyes roving over Cassia. "_And what is it you want, sister_?" it sang back.

"_Hogwarts is in trouble_," she sang back to it. "_We know not when it will cease. Please help us in keeping it safe_, _so that we may all live in peace_."

The mer-person nodded, diving into the depths of the lake once again, and Cassia moved upwards, on the off-change that she'd offended them. She zoomed back to the edge of the lake, watching for something, anything, which is when she saw lights glowing from within. The water burst outwards then, containing itself to the lake barriers, and a mer-person with a mighty trident gazed at Cassia.

"_You summoned for us_, _sister_?" it sang.

Cassia relayed the tale again, telling the mer-people what to look for, and they vowed to Cassia that they would protect Hogwarts. Cassia thanked them, watching them return to the depths of the lake, and moved to return to the astronomy tower, but a silver doe caught her eye. Breath catching in her throat, Cassia flew after it, and it took her directly into the very first glade of the Forbidden Forest. Cassia touched down tentatively, and looked around, dropping her broom with a cry of joy as she dashed forward, throwing herself into Severus's arms.

"Were you followed?" he asked.

"No," Cassia replied, throwing her arms around his neck and finding his lips in the darkness. It was akin to coming home, the moment their lips met, and their magic danced between them for a moment before she finally let herself down. "Are you all right?" she whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

Severus nodded. "Yes. You?"

She nodded. "Yes. Ever since I've deflected, Nagini no longer speaks to me, not since I defected entirely. I suppose that that's for the best, don't you?"

"Yes," Severus agreed. "The only snake I want in your head is me."

Cassia laughed. "We _both_ know that Circe is a Slytherin," she told him.

Severus rolled his eyes. "But Sebastian is a Gryffindor... He's your son, you know."

"Too bad that he looks so much like you when he gets angry," Cassia replied.

Severus growled then, finding Cassia's lips again. "I wish you would just run..."

"Run? No," Cassia replied, holding him tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. I refuse."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Still as stubborn as ever."

Cassia smirked. "I thought you liked me this way."

Severus bit his lip, obviously holding something back. "Of course," he replied. "I mean, Cassia, you must know, after all this time, how much I..."

"No," Cassia said, her voice catching slightly as she covered his lips with her fingertips. "Don't tell me that, Severus. Not now. Don't tell it to me like you're saying goodbye. You're not saying goodbye to me, because you're not going anywhere."

Severus gently traced the Cruciatus Curse scars on Cassia's face, and smiled sadly down at her, regret riddling his expression. "You cannot know that..."

"Yes, I do," Cassia replied fiercely, gripping onto him. "Don't speak of goodbyes, Severus. I cannot go on without you."

Severus yanked Cassia to his lips once more, before he stole away into the darkness, and Cassia had to cover her lips with her hand to prevent herself from crying out.

Quickly, she made a grab for her broom and dove onto it, slipping back inside the barrier and onto the astronomy tower. She shrunk her broom again and leaned against its wall, spotting Charlie, on the other side of the tower, staring at her. "What?"

"You met him, didn't you?"

Cassia swallowed, picking at her light sweater, which hid the Dark Mark from view. "Yes," she admitted, her voice heavy.

Charlie walked over to her then, hesitantly. "Are you all right?"

Cassia raised her eyes to his, only to realize that she had been crying. "Of course," she replied, scrubbing the tears from her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Charlie nodded. "You're a Gryffindor all right," he told her, squeezing her shoulder.

. . .

Cassia stumbled into the Great Hall; her leg was swollen from breaking her ankle some time ago, and her mark was burning considerably, not to mention that her hair had been set afire by one too many curses that should have been Unforgiveables that night, but, ultimately, it didn't matter. It had been quite a night, with her killing Antonin Dolohov, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Augustus Rookwood, Rebastian Lestrange, and Thorfinn Rowle. Each killing had been violent, with several curses flying this way and that, before Cassia realized that the only way to end the attacks was to kill, and so, she did.

She had sustained plenty of injuries during the attacks, and her heart was wounded. Clearly, she was not dark, despite her blood link to Grindelwald, and Cassia made a vow to herself during her walk down the main corridor of Hogwarts that, after this battle, she would never kill again unless it was strictly necessary. As she walked into the hub of the Great Hall, her heart clenched at the sight of death, which seemed to dot every surface. She felt her breath catch in her throat then, when she saw Ron's knees buckle from across the expansive room, and fall to his knees then, crying openly for Fred.

"Oh, Fred," she whispered, her voice quavering. She looked around then, biting her lower lip, and it was then that her heart came to a shuddering halt then, as she spotted the two lovers upon the floor, hands joined, eyes closed, and let out a soft, yet strangled, scream as she suddenly had the strength to dash forward. "No! Not Tonks!" came her voice, sounding as if it was from somewhere far away, as she fell to her knees, ignoring the pain that shot up through her body as she clutched at Tonks's free hand. "Tonks!" she said, her voice broken, filled with agony, as tears blinded her vision. "You were supposed to stay home, with Teddy! You promised me that you'd stay out of this! You _promised_ me!" She wept.

Harry heard Cassia's wails from across the room, and wandered towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder, which caused Cassia to look up. He pulled her to her feet and embraced her, taking the moment to whisper in her ear, "He's in the shack."

"What... What?" Cassia blubbered through her sobs.

"Nagini got to him in the shack," Harry pressed on, still clutching onto Cassia so as nobody around them would hear, and as Cassia's knees buckled. "_He_ ordered the attack, and Nagini used her venom and fangs on his throat, slashing it to ribbons."

"No..." Cassia whispered, her voice shaking.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, holding her more tightly. "Look, I never saw eye-to-eye with him, but Hermione says that you're in love with him, so if you want an opportunity to say goodbye, now's your chance. Go and say goodbye to him, Cassia, while we've got these moments free of fighting."

Cassia pulled back then, finding it difficult to breathe, and didn't know what to do, but confirmed via eye contact with Harry that Hermione's assessment was correct. She ran out of the Great Hall then, watching as Harry made his way to the grand staircase, but didn't even want to think about where he was going. Throwing open the main doors, she ran through the castle grounds, still ignoring the pain that came through her body in bursts, her heart pounding in her chest as she got onto the road for Hogsmeade. The Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, The Hog's Head Inn, and other businesses were dark and abandoned, while a few bodies littered the ground as she dashed past, wand in hand, just in case something went awry.

Cassia got to the path at last that led to the shack, and burst through the fence that blocked it from being entered properly, and ran down the jagged-shaped path, her leg and ankle smarting each time it slammed into the pavement. Cassia threw open the door, a strangled scream escaping her throat when she saw Severus, lying on the floor, his skin completely white, eyes closed, with a deep cut in his throat.

"No...no," Cassia moaned as the door swung shut behind her, and threw herself down at his side, pushing his hair back from his face. "You fucking bastard, don't you know that there's nothing for me without you?! Think of our beautiful children... They need _both_ their parents in their lives. I... I can't do this without you," she whispered, biting down hard on her lip, before came to a decision, and took his hand in hers.

Cassia remembered first meeting Severus, outside the gates of Hogwarts upon her arrival in September 1990, and how she couldn't take her eyes off his. Then, came the Sorting Ceremony, and Severus was angered at her being placed in Gryffindor over Slytherin. Cassia sighed, as she pressed her forehead against his, recalling impressing him in potions, and something about moonstone, and the color turquoise-blue. And then, Christmas had come, and Cassia's feelings for Severus were made known, plus her knowledge of his past transgressions. She had forgiven him for everything, and would continue to do so, a thousand lifetimes over, and it was then that she recalled removing his Dark Mark and wondered if, perhaps, the same magic, in its powerful intensity, could apply here.

Cassia pulled back from his forehead then, and stared down at him through her veil of tears, and knew that, above all things, she had to try, for him. "Dear Merlin, please make this work," she whispered and joined their hands together. "I bond my life, my magic, and my soul to Severus Tobias Snape, for in this bond, there is no ending," she whispered then, magic thrumming through her, gold shimmering off from her fingers, as she clutched at Severus's lank hand. "I give this bond willingly, and with my whole heart, because I cannot live without him, and refuse to do so for the rest of my life. If, Merlin, it is your will to take him from me, then permit me to go with him. But, if it is your will to allow him to return to me, then, Merlin, so help me, bring him back. I love him," she whispered, using her free hand to tuck yet another bit of wayward hair behind his ear, before she poured some of her magic into the wound. "Please, let him live. Let him live, I need him," she said, as his wound slowly but surely healed, and the blood returned into his skin.

Severus coughed then, bleary-eyed, and looked around, his eyes settling on Cassia's face, taking her in, before he squeezed her hand. "Cassia," he whispered. "What...?"

Cassia let out a sob of relief then, throwing her arms around him, their lips finding each other's almost immediately. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you bastard!" she said, tears shining in her eyes.

Severus smiled up at her, carding his hands gently through her hair, before tucking a stray bit behind her ear and caressing her face. "Why would I wish to scare you intentionally, Cassia?" he asked her. "I love you."

Cassia let out a noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "You... You love me?"

Severus dragged the pad of his thumb along her bottom lip. "I do. And as soon as all of this is over, I'm making you my wife."

Cassia bit her lip. "There is no need, Severus..."

"Yes, there is," he said, somehow managing to sit up. "There is every need in the world to proclaim to the world that we belong to one another."

"We already do," Cassia said firmly, and smiled at him. "How do you think I managed to bring you back, Severus?"

Severus blinked. "That... That was you?"

"Yes, and I would go through a thousand lifetimes, over and over again, to do the exact same thing as I did now," she replied. "I bonded myself to you, with my life and soul. I gave over a lot of my magic to ensure that you would come back to me."

Severus reached out then and cupped her cheek. "Cassia..."

"I am your wife now, Severus," she whispered. "When Harry told me that you were dead, there was _nothing_. I felt like I was dead already, so I ran here, and begged Merlin to bring you back, or to take me to wherever you were."

Severus yanked her with all his strength into his arms, kissing her as hard as he could, wanting to convey all the love and passion he could into the movement. "Has... Has Harry...?"

"He has yet to face him," Cassia confirmed. "Why? Is there something else you're keeping from me, Severus?" she asked.

Severus swallowed. "Harry is a Horcrux," he whispered.

Cassia's eyes filled with tears. "No. No, he's not... He's the Savior of the Wizarding World. How could he be a Horcrux, unless he has to...?"

"He's the final one," Severus told her gently, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Harry was given my memories, allowing him to see that I was always on the side of the Light, and that, in order for _him_ to be vanquished, that Harry must go to him freely and willingly, and only then, once he is killed, then Voldemort will die as well."

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered. "Ginny will be devastated..."

"And you will be there, along with all her brothers, parents, and Miss Granger to comfort her in the wake of Harry's death," Severus confirmed.

Cassia bit her lip. "And... And Albus? It was not...?"

"Albus ordered me to kill him."

Cassia shook her head. "I-I don't understand..."

"Marvolo Gaunt had a family ring," Severus explained patiently, "and Voldemort made it into a Horcrux as well. Albus found it and tried to destroy it, and he was successful, but there was a curse imbedded inside the ring."

"His hand," Cassia whispered.

Severus nodded. "Yes. I was able to make him a potion, which would curb the pain and keep the curse in his hand, although he would only have a year more to live..."

"And when Draco was tasked with Albus's murder...?"

"I entered into an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, swearing to protect Draco at all costs, not wanting his young life ruined more than it already was. I could not have his soul split at such a young age, Cassia. So, I stepped in, killing Albus, after he ordered me to do so, for he was already dying. He also knew that Voldemort would see me as a loyal and absolute follower, pitting me on the side of the Dark. And now, now that Harry is likely viewing my memories, it will all be over soon."

"I need to get you somewhere safe," Cassia whispered. She cased her Patronus Charm, and told it to go to Minerva, and to look into the pensieve in Albus's office. "That will clear your name, my love, it's got to. I don't know what I was thinking before, in the wake of you killing Albus. I wanted to understand, so much..."

"You were frightened, naturally so," Severus assured her. "Come," he said, and Cassia managed to get to her feet, pulling him after her. "We'll Apparate to Spinner's End. I've got a hoard of potions there to heal us both. And then we can return, if you wish..."

"I shouldn't have been fighting at all," Cassia said quietly.

"Why?" Severus asked, casting a rudimentary Cleaning Charm on his robes.

Cassia swallowed. "Because I'm pregnant," she replied and, with that sudden piece of information, as well as the little bit of magic he used, Severus's knees buckled, and he fell into Cassia's arms in a dead faint.


	19. Be at Peace

"For the last time, Poppy, I told you, I'm _fine_," Cassia told the mediwitch, who had urged both her and Severus into beds in the hospital wing. Cassia and Severus had hidden out in the Shrieking Shack, with Cassia summoning Perry for potions from his rooms at Hogwarts, to ensure that he could sleep without pain. Once Cassia learned that Voldemort had been defeated, she was shocked to discover Harry's stag Patronus waiting for her outside the shack, telling her of the completion of his destiny, and that both Cassia and Severus would be under his protection if they came back to the castle. Cassia had managed to send for Fawkes, who took a vial of Cassia's memories and delivered them to Harry, with a quick note to ensure that they were taken to Kingsley, and put into evidence for later.

"Do you realize how dangerous this all was?!" Poppy demanded, narrowing her eyes at Cassia. It hadn't taken long for her to cancel the Disillusionment Charm on her patient, thus seeing how pregnant she truly was, and to continue scolding her. "I know you had the situation handled, Cassia, but it was quite a bloody battle. Six dead Death Eaters to your name as of last night, Cassia, and you've got to understand that being pregnant is no laughing matter..."

"Seven," Cassia put in.

Poppy blinked, snapping out of her tirade. "What?"

"I've killed seven Death Eaters, Poppy," Cassia said, her tone patient. "I killed Gibbon on the night that Albus..." She cut herself off, gritting her teeth against a wave of emotions. "Anyhow, I understand the dangers of fighting while pregnant. I was almost murdered several times over, not just last night. But I've endured worse over the course of my lifetime, Poppy, and I assure you that I kept my child safe. You said so yourself."

Poppy's lips thinned as she remembered that the Diagnostic Spell had informed her that nothing untoward had happened to Cassia's fetus. "Yes," she allowed, and moved towards Severus's bed, just next to Cassia's. "And Severus?"

"You mean my husband?" Cassia asked, and Poppy whipped around, staring at Cassia in a moment of shock. "I saved his life by entering into a soul bond with him."

"Anima Vinculum?" Poppy whispered, shaking her head. "That's very old, and very sacred magic, Cassia," she breathed. "It is also not something to be tampered with, or taken lightly. I understand that your feelings for Severus run deep, but..."

"I love him," Cassia stated then, and Poppy continued staring at her. "I've been in love with him since I was seventeen."

Poppy swayed lightly then, looking in between them. "He... He was the father of your twins, and your child now," she whispered.

Cassia nodded. "Yes," she replied.

Poppy swallowed then. "And... And does Severus...?"

"He told me he did, which is how the bond was able to be successful," Cassia replied. "He was awake, for a time, but once I told him that I was pregnant, he fainted. Dreamless Sleep has been able to keep him this way, as I did not wish any further damage to come to him."

Poppy sighed. "Well, I cannot make a formal diagnosis until the potion wears off," she replied and returned to Cassia's side. "On the other hand you, Cassia, are suffering from a broken leg and ankle, singed hair, and various cuts and bruises throughout your body, either from magical or clumsiness," she said, clicking her tongue.

Cassia shrugged. "Can't take me anywhere, I guess," she muttered.

Poppy sighed. "Well, perhaps washing your hair with the Burn-Healing Paste will help matters further," she said, summoning a jar. "Are you well enough for a shower?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes," she told her, taking the jar from her.

"Very well. I'll leave you to it, then," Poppy said, and bustled into her office.

Cassia carefully swung her legs off from her bed, and sighed. "Perry," she said.

Perry popped into view. "Mistress Cassia is needing Perry, ma'am?" she asked.

Cassia smiled down at her. "Yes, Perry. I was hoping that you could possibly bring me a change of clothes from the manor, and some new robes and things for Severus from the headmaster's office upstairs."

Perry nodded, reaching out and clutching Cassia's hand. "Perry will go and fetch those things for Mistress Cassia right away!" she squeaked, before popping from view.

Cassia chuckled to herself, before getting to her feet and crossing the room carefully. She kissed Severus on the forehead before she made her way into the bathroom, and shut and locked the door behind her. She went over to the shower then, turning it on and adjusting the temperature accordingly, before she stepped inside. She used the paste like soap, and was relieved when the scotched ends of her hair vanished, and returned to their smooth texture. She then used the provided shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, before she turned off the shower and made a grab for the provided towel.

Stepping out, she was pleased to see that Perry had made good on her task, and casted a quick _Excoquatur_ upon herself before grabbing at the jeans, sneakers, loose top, and socks that Perry had brought for her. She then grabbed her toothbrush and casted a Cleaning Spell on her teeth before she brushed her hair—now halfway down her back again—before putting it into a side braid down her front.

As she stepped outside the hospital wing bathroom, she let out an exulted noise as she dashed forward, kneeling beside Severus's bed and clutching at his hand. "You're awake," came her breathless whisper to him.

Severus smiled up at her. "Of course I am," he stated, before he narrowed his eyes at her. "How could you go into battle while pregnant?" he hissed at her. "Moreover, you had no just cause in risking your life for me. And furthermore—!"

"Oh, shut _up_ you fucking bastard!" she shouted then, before leaning down and kissing him, and felt her entire body relaxing as he wrapped his arm around her frame, and held her up against him. "Better?" she asked when she pulled back from him.

"I knew it," came a voice from the doorway.

"Honestly, Ronald!" came a hiss.

"Both of you, calm down."

Cassia and Severus turned and looked at the trio, and they smiled at them all. "Hello, there," she said to them.

Severus raised his hand. "Everything out in the open, then?"

"More or less," said Ron with a shrug.

Hermione swatted at him. "Ronald!" she screeched. "Would you kindly—?" Hermione was cut off then by Ron grabbing ahold of her waist and kissing her, and she let out a small mewl of surprise and delight at the turn of events.

"Sorry about that," Ron said after a moment, staring into her eyes. "Now that the war is over and you're my girlfriend, I just want to do that all the time..."

"Maybe do that a bit later," Harry said, shaking his head and walking into the hospital wing. He still looked a bit tired from the battle itself, but at least he'd managed to get a change of clothes in the three days since it had ended.

Cassia squeezed Severus's hand before she let him go, before she walked towards Harry and hugged him close. "You all right?" he whispered.

Harry chuckled then, pulling back and lifting the fringe of hair that seemed to always overgrow itself onto his forehead. "See for yourself."

Cassia smiled at the sight; the scar, while still there, was no longer outlined in red, and now was merely flesh-colored. "Wait a minute," she said, unbuttoning her blouse.

"Hey, wait a minute," Severus said, sitting up in bed. "We've only been married for three days and already you're trading up for a Gryffindor?!"

"Married?!" Hermione and Ron demanded, while Harry just looked shocked.

Cassia rolled her eyes. "Yes, that was a perfect way to tell them, Severus," she said, shaking her head at him as she investigated the thunderbolt on her chest. "Oh my," she whispered.

"It's faded," Hermione whispered, stepping closer.

"Blimey," Ron put in.

"How are Mum and Dad?" Cassia whispered, hastily re-buttoning her blouse and looking up at Ron. "I should've said something, that night, after Fred..." She sighed, clearing her throat. "But, I had to save this one's life," she said, thinking for a moment, and muttered, "_Maior_," while pointing her wand at the bed, which nearly tripled in side. Smiling to herself, she went to sit beside Severus, and said, "_Gemino_," and got two pillows placed behind her.

"Mum and Dad are fine, considering," Ron replied. "Percy's back."

Cassia blinked. "What?"

"He quit the ministry, right before Fred..." Ron cleared his throat then, and Hermione promptly took his hand. "But, yeah. He's back. Things aren't perfect yet, but I think that, maybe, one day, we can get back on track with him. Of course," he continued, smiling, "they'll want to know immediately that you and Snape are married."

"Severus," Severus said, sighing slightly, and Cassia took his hand. "Look, I treated the three of you horribly, and my only excuse is that I was broken and I had a mission to complete."

"It's all right," Harry said, reaching out his hand. "I understand now, and so do Ron, Hermione, Minerva, Filius, Pomona, Horace, and Kingsley," he explained. "We're working on clearing you name, and Cassia's. Of course, it helps that Cassia supplied us with the memory of the Order of the Phoenix meeting, with Albus actually asking her to supply her services to Voldemort."

Severus took Harry's hand and shook it. "I'm pleased to know that there will be no hard feelings between the two of us, Harry."

Harry nodded. "I just... I don't understand how you and Cassia..."

"I loved your mother, Harry, I did," Severus explained. "However, I believe I mistook that love for a romantic kind," he went on, and Cassia's breath became lodged in her throat when he turned to look over at her. "While I shall always care for Lily, Cassia, you're the one that I've been waiting for all this time. You saw through my darkness, in a way that nobody else could, and I can never thank you enough for that. And I know that we're soul-bonded, and I cannot believe that it actually worked, despite my deep love for you, but I want to make it official, in each and every way possible." He smiled then, before he said, "Perry," in a commanding yet calm voice, and the house-elf appeared.

"Yes, Master Severus, sir?"

"Will you fetch that box, please? The one I told you to keep hidden for me?"

"Yes, Master Severus!" squeaked the elf, before she vanished, and reappeared a moment later, and handed over the box. "Here, Master Severus, sir!"

"Thank you, Perry," Severus said, and slowly opened the box.

Cassia gasped then, tears blinding her vision at the sight of the platinum band, with an oval-shaped diamond in the center, plus smaller circular diamonds surrounding it. "Oh, Severus," she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Cassandra Sybylla Serbus Grindelwald," Severus said, and Cassia smacked his arm in a playful manner then, hearing the sharp intakes of breath from beside them, "you are absolutely wonderful, and amazing, and I love you more than anything, and I'll spend the rest of my life telling you that. Will you take me, Severus Tobias Snape, a man who ran from the Dark and into the Light, who made too many mistakes to count, and took too long to wake up and realize that you were the one for me, as your husband?"

"Yes," Cassia whispered, fanning out her fingers, and Severus slipped the ring onto the correct one, before she grabbed ahold of his collar, pulling him closer, and kissed him.

"Bloody hell, so this is really happening, 'Mione?" Ron demanded of his girlfriend, and Cassia heard the tell-tale sound of a light smack. "Oi!" he shouted.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, it's really happening," Severus said languidly as he pulled back from Cassia, who, meanwhile, rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why did he call you Cassandra Grindelwald?" Hermione asked.

Cassia sighed. "Because it's my birthname," she said softly. "My mother had an affair with Grindelwald starting in the late-1960's. She came here to meet other Pure-Blood families during her travels, and found out about Grindelwald during that time. As such, she found herself pregnant with me during the early-1970's, but when she discovered that I was a daughter, and informed the Dark Wizard of this, he wanted nothing to do with me."

"Seems a bit harsh," Harry put in.

"Why would he say that if you were his?" Ron asked, confused.

"In many well-to-do families, Ronald, the head of the family will want a son to succeed him, much like how kings in the Middle Ages worked," Hermione explained.

"Miss Granger is indeed correct," Severus said, trailing his fingers up and down Cassia's back in a moment of reassurance. "Grindelwald apparently wanted a son to succeed him, but, as Cassia was a daughter, she was automatically rejected. However, despite the rejection, Cassia carries his name, and is entitled to all the Grindelwald family holdings and things like that. She has also inherited the Blood Status of both her parents."

"Making her a Pure-Blood," Hermione breathed.

"That's where you get your Parseltongue, isn't it?" Harry asked. "From Grindelwald?"

"It was," Cassia said with a small smile. "The moment I defected from Voldemort, my mark lost its power, and Nagini no longer invaded my mind. Because of that, I can no longer understand or speak the language."

"What are you plans, then?" Ron asked. "Now that it's all over?"

"It won't be over, Mr. Weasley, until Cassia's and my names are cleared," Severus told him in a patient manner. "The three of you know full well that we were acting under Albus's orders, but the Wizengamot may not see it that way. For all we know, they could just label the two of us as Death Eaters who merely claimed to defect to the Light."

"But, no matter what happens," Cassia said, her voice strong as she looped her slim hand into Severus's larger one, "we're all in this together."

. . .

Cassia and Severus's reunion with Sebastian and Circe was a bittersweet one; thankfully, the twins remembered their mother clearly, but it would take some getting used to for them to fully figure out that Severus was their father. However, children were extremely resourceful beings, and were all too glad to welcome Severus into the fold.

Once Cassia and Severus's names were cleared, each of them were bestowed an Order of Merlin, First Class, and Cassia was shocked to receive the honor, as she was an American. However, she accepted it with humility and grace, and was pleased that Kingsley had been appointed interim Minister of Magic, which meant he gave out the awards. The others honored that day were, of course, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Minerva. They all stood around in their dress robes after the ceremony and _The Daily Profit_ and _The Quibbler_ took many photos of them all, celebrating the victory.

Severus was sleeping at the manor on weekends, and spending every waking moment with the twins that he could. During the week, however, when the twins were busy with school, Severus would return to Hogwarts and assist with the rebuilding of the ancient castle. Cassia, meanwhile, who had gotten her hands on the Grindelwald fortune, gave most of it for funding for rebuilding Hogwarts, of which Minerva, who had been appointed as headmistress after Severus had stepped down, was very joyous about. As for half of the rest of the fortune, she had Nurmengard Castle torn down and, in its place, had an orphanage put there for the children whose parents had been killed in the war. And, at last, for the final bit of the Grindelwald fortune, Cassia had it put into her vault at Gringotts, in case it was ever needed by the family.

Cassia arrived at the Auror Office on the day of Sebastian and Circe's birthday; once the war had ended, and Cassia had talked to Kingsley about her pregnancy, she had been put onto leave. It was upon her arrival then as she made her way upstairs and into his office and tapped on his door that he immediately set down whatever piece of parchment he'd been looking over and immediately beckoned her inside.

"Hope that won't too important," she said with a laugh.

Kingsley grinned. "Not extremely, no," he replied. "Just the portraits for the new line of Chocolate Frog Cards. Harry, Ron, Hermione, you, and Severus," he said, showing off the portraits.

Cassia gazed at her reflection then, waving. "Hi, Cassia," she said.

The portrait waved back, eager to see her own reflection.

"Eager, that one," Cassia said, shaking her head as Kingsley lowered the photo and shuffled the papers in front of him. "I'll be brief."

"Of course, it's the twins' birthday," Kingsley replied.

Cassia sighed. "I'm leaving the department," she told him.

Kingsley looked shocked. "But Cassia, there were never any charges against you, and your name has been cleared, plus Severus's..."

Cassia nodded. "I know," she told him. "But this... It's just not me anymore. I'm happy. I have the man that I love by my side, and we're getting married in three months. My children are back with me, and I'm going to have another one in just a week and a half. Plus, even though I am a war hero, Kingsley, I've done my duty. I spied, I lied, I got branded with the Dark Mark, and I also killed seven Death Eaters for you. I'm done with this game of chasing Dark Wizards, because my father was one," she said quietly. "I'm not doing it out of some loyalty to some man I've never met, but I'm tired, Kingsley, so tired. I'll be twenty-six-years-old come November, and while that isn't old, it isn't quite young either." She smiled at him. "You've been there for me time and time again over the years, and I can't thank you enough. However," she said as she got to her feet, "it's time for me to move onto the next chapter."

Kingsley sighed, before he got to his feet as well. "I understand," he replied, and put out his hand, which Cassia took, and he shook it. "Robards know about this?"

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I sent him a letter via Fawkes the other day. He wasn't too pleased with the situation, but, in the end, he understands."

Kingsley sighed a second time before dropping Cassia's hand. "We'll miss you."

Cassia laughed. "I hope you do," she replied, and walked out of the office.

"He take it well?" Severus asked, meeting Cassia by the Floo once she arrived back at the manor, and pulled her into his arms.

"As well as could be expected," Cassia replied. "Thank you for supporting me. It was time, and you never talked me out of it."

"That's because it was your decision to make," Severus said, and ran his hands up and down her swollen belly. "How's my daughter?"

Cassia grinned up at him. "Which one? The one who turns seven today or the one who isn't due to be here until next month?"

Severus smirked down at Cassia then. "This one," he said, running his hands along her belly. "I was wondering if you'd considered a name yet."

"Yes," Cassia replied. "Persephone Nymphadora Snape," she said quietly.

Severus smiled genuinely down at her and tilted her chin up. "I think that's an excellent idea for a name," he replied, kissing her.

"Mummy, tell Daddy to stop!" Circe shouted, her tone indignant as she strutted into the room, letting out a squeal as Severus scooped her up.

"Circe, leave them be," Sebastian said, dashing in just behind her, and clutching at Cassia's legs in a moment of security.

"Well, Miss Circe, as it's your birthday, what would you like to do?" Severus asked, grinning down at his daughter.

"Fly, Daddy! I wanna fly with you!"

"Hey, don't forget, it's Sebastian's birthday, too," Cassia put in.

"I wanna help you and Perry make the food," Sebastian said quickly.

"Oh, well that's solved, then," she said, kissing Circe and Severus, before he carried their daughter outside to fly.

It was a lovely birthday party later that afternoon, with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Molly, Arthur, Percy, George, Samantha, Alabaster, Minerva, Filius, Pomona, Horace, Kingsley, and several others. Once the festivities had died down and Sebastian and Circe were put to bed, Cassia and Severus said goodnight to everyone, save for the Golden Trio. They took them into the living room, speaking to them about anything that may have been left up in the air, and told them that, as long as they wanted to be, that the three of them would always be welcome in their lives.

"Was today a good day for you, love?" Cassia asked, once she was all changed for bed and slipped in beside Severus, who was reading a potions journal.

Severus smiled, setting it aside and lifting his arm, and Cassia immediately snuggled in beside him, which comforted him greatly. "It was. I hope it wasn't too terrible for Neville and Luna to be in the same room with one another..."

Cassia shook her head. "No, they're over it now. In fact, Neville's asked out Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff, and Luna seems to be head over wand for Rolf Scamander."

Severus pushed himself upwards then, and Cassia leaned back against him; he reached down then and gently stroked her swollen stomach. "And you, love? How was the day for you? You are too tired, are you?"

"No," Cassia assured him. "I... I never thought that I could have such happiness..."

Severus leaned down then, pressing his lips to her temple. "Neither did I, Cassia," he whispered as he held her close against him. "Neither did I."

. . .

In the wake of Persephone's birth nine days after the family celebrated the twins' birthday, the wedding preparations were now in full-swing. Whenever she had a spare moment, however, Cassia would go upstairs to the nursery at the manor, usually during Persephone's nap, and would gaze at her newborn daughter. Now that she had retired from the Ministry of Magic, Cassia had decided to take some well-deserved time off in the interim, and would spend that time, she decided, raising her children.

Persephone was quite a sight to see the moment she was born. She had soft, golden-brown hair, like Cassia's, and would ultimately her mother's hazel eyes as well. Her skin tone belonged to her father, as did her hands, however, but she had gotten Cassia's nose. Persephone was an even-tempered baby, and absolutely adored being held above all things. Cassia delighted in carrying her youngest daughter around the house, and Sebastian and Circe were always running after their mother, begging to hold her or to help her in some way.

"Here you are."

Cassia turned around then, and smiled at Hermione. "Hello," she said, motioned for Hermione to come and stand beside her.

Hermione stepped closer then, peering into the crib and smiling. "She's beautiful," she whispered to her. "Thank you for making me godmother."

"Of course," Cassia said, taking her by the hand and squeezing it. "You're practically my sister anyhow. Or, you will be officially, after Ron asks you."

Hermione laughed softly then, her brown eyes dancing. "Let's just keep our fingers crossed that she likes Ginny over me."

Cassia gently bumped the side of her arm against Hermione's. "No competition."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at Cassia. "Well, she's got an advantage anyhow, being your sister _and_ Persephone's other godmother."

Cassia rolled her eyes, and pushed herself away from the crib. "Mum here yet?" she asked as she and Hermione walked out of the nursery.

"Just got here with Ginny," Hermione replied. "Wedding planning is proving to be exhausting! I can't believe you asked me to be Maid of Honor..."

"Co-Maid of Honor. Couldn't leave Ginny out," Cassia said with a giggle as they headed downstairs and into the living room. "Hey, Mum," she said, wrapping her arms around Molly and then pulled back. "Hey, Ginny. Hope you're not missing too much school for... You know, all this."

Ginny laughed, accepting Cassia's hug. "Just an hour or two here and there won't hurt."

"You look good," Cassia said. "Happy."

Ginny smiled. "Well, now that my boyfriend's alive and well and we can finally be together, I would hope so."

Molly clicked her tongue before setting everyone down on the couch. "Now, dear, we have to discuss Severus's wedding party."

Cassia laughed. "Well, I was just as surprised as you were when he asked Harry and Ron to be his Best Men, but, hey, they accepted."

Molly nodded. "Any groomsmen?"

"He's asked Bill, Filius, and Horace," Cassia confirmed.

"And your bridesmaids, dear?"

"I've asked Fleur, who will pair up with Bill; Luna, who will pair up with Filius; and Katie, who will pair up with Horace," Cassia told her. "Minerva, of course, is performing the ceremony, as we're having it on the Hogwarts grounds."

"That's a beautiful idea, Cassia," Molly said. "Is it set to snow that day?"

"The night before," Cassia confirmed. "Filius promised me that, since it's during the Christmas holidays, that he would leave up the decorations. I've always loved Christmas."

"Right," Molly said with a quick smile in Cassia's direction as she continued taking notes. "I suppose the next order of business is who will be walking you down the aisle..."

"Actually, I was going to ask Dad, if that's all right," Cassia said, her voice quiet. "I didn't want to presume or assume, but I really would like him to..."

"I'm quite sure that Arthur would be delighted," Molly replied, clearly touched that Cassia had thought of him, and wrote something down. "And your gown..."

"We went last weekend with her, Molly," Hermione put in.

"Where was that, again?"

"A bridal shop in Muggle London, Mum," Ginny informed Molly patiently, her face glowing at the memory. "We also got our dresses there, too. Cassia's wearing white, of course, I'm in green, and Hermione's in red."

"And what color were the bridesmaids wearing again?"

"Gold, Mum," Cassia told her patiently with a smile. "The Best Men will be in silver, while the groomsmen will wear pale blue."

"And Severus insists upon wearing black," Ginny said with an eyeroll, and Cassia gently elbowed her in the ribs.

"I know it's annoying, Ginny, but he's still my husband," Cassia told her.

"All right, all right," Ginny said, running her hand delicately along the area where Cassia had elbowed her. "No need to get fresh."

"All right, girls," Molly scolded gently. "And you've requested roast chicken and potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and sandwiches to be made by me and Perry. What kind of sandwiches were you thinking, love?"

"Chicken pesto and roast beef, my favorite. Severus likes roast beef as well," she said, pleased that they could agree on something.

"What about the cake?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, yes, that's important," Hermione put in.

Molly nodded. "Does Severus have a preference?"

"No," Cassia replied, shaking her head. "He says he wants the cake to be my choice."

"Which is?" Molly asked, her quill and parchment ready.

"White cake with white buttercream frosting, and maybe a lion and a snake joined together on it somehow," she said with a shrug.

Molly grinned. "I know just the thing," she declared, writing notes in a hurry.

. . .

Cassia arrived at Hogwarts on the final day of December, holding Persephone tightly in her arms, knowing that she would have to hand her off to Molly quite soon. Cassia pressed a kiss to her youngest child's forehead, feeling relieved that Harry and Ron were keeping Sebastian and Circe occupied for a bit, until their Ring Bearer and Flower Girl duties called. Cassia hung up her wedding gown inside her garment bag upon a spare peg on the wall, and cuddled Persephone close in her arms.

"By the end of the day, my darling, your father and I will be married...again."

Molly arrived shortly after Cassia did, and whisked Persephone away, while Hermione and Ginny trooped in, to help Cassia with her gown.

"Feeling all right?" Ginny asked, holding tightly to Cassia's hands and Hermione spelled Cassia's dress out of the garment bag.

Cassia nodded, noticing the tremor flowing through her then, but knew that a little anxiety on one's wedding day was not an abnormal thing. "Dad here yet?"

"He's just getting ready with the men," Hermione said, holding the white gown carefully as she crossed over towards Cassia. "He'll be along shortly."

Cassia nodded. "That's a relief," she said as she was helped out of her street clothes. She had worn the wedding gown undergarments beneath them, just to save time. She faced the mirror then, and held onto Ginny's hands as Hermione lowered the gown for her to step into it. "I'd hate for someone not to remember something important on a day like today... I always told myself I'd get married once, and now I'm doing it twice..."

Ginny laughed. "I'm not sure if it counts as twice, since you're marrying the same person. I suppose a public settling, or public enough, will satisfy Wizarding Law."

"You're happy, I can tell you're happy," Hermione said, lifting the gown once Cassia had stepped into it, and pulled it up.

Cassia sighed. "I really am," she said, practicing her breathing as Ginny and Hermione laced up the back of the gown. "I never thought this day would come."

"It came," Ginny told her, squeezing her hand. "Breathe in."

Cassia allowed a great gust of air into her lungs, and held herself in a rigid position. "I'm just so glad that Madam Pomfrey was able to remove _this_," she said, trailing her hand along her arm. "I will always bear the scar from Bellatrix Lestrange..."

"We all will," Hermione said, looking at the word _Mudblood_, still carved into her arm.

Ginny winced slightly then, and trailed her hands along the side of her neck, where Bellatrix had spelled Crucio at her during the Battle of Hogwarts. "At least it's not something we have to hide in this day and age."

Cassia nodded in agreement as the final ribbon was laced and put in place. She was pushed down onto a stool then, and Hermione and Ginny painstakingly worked some Sleekeazy's Hair Potion onto her hair. Cassia shut her eyes as they massaged her scalp, content to allow her mind to drift away from that day, and onto other things...

The moment she first saw Severus.

_The final man, the wizard and Head of Slytherin House, however, was something else, as he literally made Cassia's throat go dry, with his shoulder-length black hair, captivating black eyes, black robes which seemed to hold him in all the right places, and pale, pale skin..._

The moment after she was sorted into Gryffindor.

_However, just as they were leaving the Great Hall, Cassia felt a pair of black eyes upon her back and, turning, saw Professor Severus Snape staring back at her, almost as if into her soul, before her swept out of there via a door behind the teacher's tables, in a plumage of black robes, causing Cassia's breath to hitch in her throat as she quickly moved to follow Professor McGonagall out of there and up the staircase._

Their first misunderstanding.

"_I hear Professor Kettleburn lost an arm, a leg, and an eye because of his love for animals."_

"_Oh, I see how it is," said a deep, intoxicating voice from behind the pair of them, and Cassia and Samantha turned to see Professor Snape standing behind them, and his eyes were boring into Cassia, the same way they'd done the day before. "How typical."_

_Cassia remained impassive towards the implication, although she sensed Samantha growing uneasy from beside her. "Sir, I'm afraid I cannot confirm or deny what you deem to be typical, as you've not said specifically what is typical, only that you see or sense something to be, when, in fact, you don't know either of us, so to make an assumption like that is not only impolite, but a bit cruel. Isn't it?"_

_Professor Snape stared down at Cassia; never in his life had he been presented with logic like this before, and he wanted so badly to take points from her, but term had not yet begun, so he was at a loss of what to do. "I am claiming, Miss Serbus, that your behavior when speaking of Professor Kettleburn is typical for that of an American. You wish to ogle him."_

"_If by 'ogle', you mean 'stare', sir, then, yes, I'm afraid I must stare at him while he is lecturing me during his classes. Not to watch a teacher while lecturing is considered rude at Ilvermorny, as the professor will immediately believe they don't have your full attention. However, if by 'ogle' you mean to do so in a malicious manner, I'm afraid, professor, that your assumptions, in this matter, are incorrect."_

_Professor Snape gritted his teeth; he could not allow himself to be bested by a seventeen-year-old, or a Gryffindor, or an American, he just couldn't! "Well, then, Miss Serbus, perhaps you intend to pity Professor Kettleburn for his ailments."_

"_If he sustained them by doing something he loves, and doesn't feel sorry for himself for having them, then there is no reason to pity him, is there, professor?"_

_The potions professor looked flabbergasted by Cassia's words and, knowing when he had been beaten, took off in a plumage of black as he stomped away._

Their first intimate conversation.

"_Do you have confidence in this brew, Miss Serbus?"_

_Cassia nodded. "Yes, I believe so, sir."_

"_Because," Snape went on, summoning a goblet, "if you manage to kill me from me drinking your work, then you'll spend life in Azkaban." He hesitated. "Is it true that they still employ capital punishment in America?"_

_Cassia nodded. "Yes, professor, although now they've outlawed it for mentally insane persons, or those under the age of sixteen." She lowered her eyes. "It's about time they did something about those laws. They seem terribly archaic."_

"_Capital punishment on the whole is an archaic practice, Miss Serbus."_

_Cassia's eyes immediately raised themselves, locking onto the professors. "No, I don't think so, sir," she replied. "If the person killed a mass number of people at one time, or picked off several innocent individuals over the years, or attempted to kill a child, justice can only be served if they themselves pay the price they dealt to their victims." She hesitated for a moment, her heart beating erratically as she held his gaze. "What if it was someone you loved, professor?" she asked him then, and there were collective gasps about the room. "Wouldn't you, then, want the ultimate punishment for the killer?"_

"_It's not something I need to think about, Miss Serbus, for I love no one."_

_Cassia felt a wave of pity flowing through her then. "Well, I am sorry for that, sir," she said then, and lowered her eyes back to her potion._

Their first time acknowledging their attraction.

_Cassia's breath caught in her throat then, as she took in the line of teachers standing on the opposite side of the Great Hall, where there was no graveyard piece. She swallowed then, taking in Professor Snape, who was in his typical robes, but his dark eyes shone from behind the black mask he wore. His eyes found hers almost immediately, and they bored into them, causing Cassia to gasp slightly then, and found that she bit her bottom lip at the look, which seemed to cause the potions professor to stiffen slightly._

Their first time.

"_Now, please now," she whimpered as she rubbed herself up against him like a cat in heat. "I want you now... Take me to your bed, Severus. I'm yours..."_

_Severus pulled Cassia's legs around his torso then, and stiffened against her as her fingertips traced patterns on the bare skin of his chest. He somehow managed to open the inner door of his classroom, taking her through his sitting room, and, finally to his bedroom. He set her down on the edge of the bed, and caught her hands for a moment. "Are you sure?"_

_Cassia wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered to him. "I want you. Take me, Severus. Make me yours."_

_Severus couldn't calm himself down any longer; it didn't matter that he was her professor, and she his student, not to mention the notion that he was over a decade older than she was. As he carefully unbuttoned her shirt, he pushed it over her shoulders and allowed it to fall. Her bra was still clasped around her, and she unhooked it, tossing it at her feet, and Severus gasped aloud at the sight of her beautiful breasts, which he cupped and teased, in particular the nipples, which caused Cassia's toes to curl, and she arched into him, his hardness bumping into her knee. He then got off her jeans and she crawled backwards onto the bed, discarding those panties of hers as Severus continued to undress, before crawling towards her himself._

"_Are you...?"_

"_I'm ready, I... I know it will hurt, but I want to. I'm ready."_

_Severus gaze locked with hers. "You... You have not?"_

"_No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I wanted to wait for somebody I loved. You're it for me, Severus. This love will never die."_

_Severus nodded then, capturing her lips once more, as his fingers lowered themselves into her folds, which seemed to wet immediately as he grazed her there. He didn't have to move her legs apart, for she was already doing that on her own. Carefully, he prepared himself, before he could no longer stand it, and put himself inside her._

"_Severus," Cassia groaned then, tears filling her eyes as she grabbed ahold of him then, and he pressed a comforting kiss to her lips. She arched up against him then, and, quite suddenly, the pain in her gaze was replaced with a heated desire. She wrapped her legs around his torso again, and whispered, "Make me yours, Severus. __All__ yours."_

"All right, then," said Hermione's voice a moment later, and Cassia's eyes snapped open, and gasped aloud.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked her.

Cassia smiled, seeing that her hair and makeup had been completed, and nodded her satisfaction at the results. "Perfect," she whispered. Cassia stepped into her heels then, while Hermione and Ginny slipped outside to let everyone know that it was time. Cassia smiled automatically then as Arthur came into the room, and stepped towards him. "Hey, Dad," she said, and Arthur took her by the hands and kissed her on the cheek.

"You look lovely," Arthur said, beaming at her. "Ready, love?"

Cassia nodded, straightening herself up as best she could as she summoned her red rose and holly bouquet. "I'm ready."

Arthur led Cassia out of the room then and down the hallway, where she was just able to see that the groomsmen and Best Men had already taken their respective ladies inside, and that little Sebastian had just moved to do his Ring Bearer duties. Cassia gave Circe a little wave, and she waved back, before she darted into the Great Hall after Sebastian, and scattered the pink rose petals upon the stone floor.

"You all right?" Arthur whispered as they stepped closer.

Cassia nodded. "I am."

Arthur grinned. "All right," he said. "Let's go."

Cassia kept a good grip on Arthur's arm as they turned and walked into the Great Hall, and she felt her breath automatically hitch in her throat when she caught sight of Severus for the first time. Her husband-to-be was garbed in a black three-piece suit, the only other color being white, which was reserved for his button-down shirt. Cassia was careful not to slip on the rose petals, and Arthur kept a good hold upon her as they went up the aisle towards Severus; Minerva stood to his right, and she was beaming in her red and gold robes.

Cassia stopped walking as they reached Severus, and accepted Arthur's kiss on the cheek, before she took Severus's hand as Arthur joined them together. Then, she handed her bouquet over to Hermione, and turned back to face Severus, taking both of his hands in hers.

"Hello," he whispered.

"Hello," she whispered back.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Severus Tobias Snape and Cassandra Sybylla Serbus in matrimony," said Minerva, and Cassia and Severus smiled at one another. "I would like to begin the ceremony now by saying that these two beautiful souls did not have it easy growing up, but this has only strengthened their bond and loyalty to one another. They know what it is like to lose people they care about, and now they are fully prepared to risk it all and join themselves together for a lifetime." Minerva turned to Severus then. "Severus, do you take Cassandra to be your lawfully wedded magical partner? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

Severus nodded. "In thereto I pledge myself to you," he replied, his eyes never leaving Cassia's, and a fresh blush bloomed across her cheeks.

"And do you, Cassandra, take Severus, to be your lawfully wedded magical partner? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall life?"

Cassia smiled at Severus and squeezed his hands. "In thereto I pledge myself to you."

Minerva summoned the rings from Sebastian's silk pillow then, and Cassia and Severus each added a platinum band onto their finger, with Cassia's going on the same finger as her engagement ring. "And now, before these witnesses here today, I now claim that you are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," she said.

Severus dropped Cassia's hands then and grabbed her about the waist and dipped her, kissing her as deeply as he possibly could. Once he righted them, he noticed that Cassia's pupils were plenty dilated, and he grinned at her. "Later," he whispered.

Cassia blinked, her face flushing all over again. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Cassia bit down hard on her lips then as they moved back up the aisle, amid people's shouting of well-wishes. "Is that a promise?"

Severus squeezed her hand. "For the rest of my life," he stated, before he turned and looked over at her. "And you?"

Cassia smiled, leaning in then and launching herself into his arms, and Severus caught her, to the point where they were close to laughter. "Always," she told him, staring up into his beautiful black pools, and feeling so safe and happy. "I love you, Severus Snape."

"And I love you, Cassia Snape," he replied.


	20. Epilogue: The Eternal Flame

In the five years that had passed since the war, Cassia and Severus found themselves back at Hogwarts, as professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions respectively. They still retained Prince Manor, but now they mainly used it for the Christmas and summer holidays, with Minerva giving them a lavish suite of rooms in the castle to accommodate the family. Even though she was several years away from beginning at the school, Persephone, much to Severus's chagrin, displayed all the Gryffindor tendencies.

"It's really not so bad," Cassia said, gripping onto his hand as they ran through the barrier at King's Cross Station, Persephone, who preferred the pet name, Effie, in his arms.

Severus grumbled sarcastically under his breath as they caught up to Sebastian and Circe, ahead in the crowd due to their excitement. He looked down at his son and elder daughter, and couldn't help but smile proudly at the two of them. Each of them had a trunk with S.C.S. and C.E.S. embossed on them, and Sebastian had a barred owl that he's named Maximus, while Circe had a half-Kneazle, one of Amara's kittens, named Lilith.

"Are you all right?" Cassia asked as Sebastian automatically gravitated towards her as the train came into view. She smiled and gave a nod to one of the assistants, who took both of their trunks off to put them into the train, while Maximus and Lilith would stay with them.

"Mum, do you think I'll be put in Slytherin?" Sebastian whispered.

Cassia knelt down before Sebastian, and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead. "Sebastian Charles Snape, you're the son of a former Headmaster of Hogwarts, as well as the potions professor, and your mother is the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Your father is a Slytherin, and he's the bravest man I've ever known."

Sebastian sighed. "But do you think I will be?" he pressed.

Cassia giggled and shook her head. "No, I don't, darling. And do you know why? Because I'm a Gryffindor, and you pull off all the traits perfectly."

Sebastian smiled. "Really?"

Cassia nodded at him. "Really."

Circe stepped forward then and tossed her long, raven locks. "But, Mum, _I_'_ll_ be in Slytherin, won't I?" she asked.

Cassia laughed and made a grab for her oldest daughter, who shared in her laughter, as Severus looked on. "Yes, my sweetheart, I think you'll be in Slytherin, if your father has anything to say about it."

"Indeed," Severus replied, raising one of his eyebrows.

Cassia smirked up at her husband before pressing a kiss each to Sebastian and Circe's foreheads and held them close. "Don't worry, my loves. Dad and I will be at the table tonight, and we'll be watching you at mealtimes, and Headmistress McGonagall told you that you could stay in the family rooms, if you really want to. Of course, you may rather sleep in the dormitories, because you'll make more friends that way."

"No son of mine is sleeping in Gryffindor Tower," Severus put in.

Cassia looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "I slept in Gryffindor Tower, Severus, for the year that I was at Hogwarts, and look at me."

"That's right—you were a Pure-Blood Gryffindor who married a Half-Blood Slytherin."

Cassia rose herself to her feet then, meeting Severus's gaze. "You know as well as I do that I was told I was a Half-Blood since I was a child, and didn't know about my true heritage until the Second Wizarding War. And besides," she went on, stepping closer. "You know I didn't fall in love with you based on Blood Status. I fell in love with you because you're you."

Severus softened considerably then, before he snaked a hand around Cassia's waist. "You're too good for me..."

"Never," Cassia said, stepping closer and pressing her lips to his.

"Not _now_, Mum!" Circe cried out.

"No yelling!" four-year-old Effie scolded her sister.

Circe help up her hands. "Sorry. They were being gross."

Cassia let out a chuckle and look down at her daughter. "Someday you may like it when someone does that to you, sweetheart."

"Yes, when she's thirty," Severus replied.

Cassia smacked his arm. "I fell in love with you when I was seventeen, Severus. Come on. There is room for compromise here."

"Yes, but I was your professor then," Severus told her. "Last thing I want is for my daughter to find herself tangled up in a web like that."

Cassia rolled her eyes and squeezed Severus's shoulder before she stepped towards her children with a smile on her face. "We'll see you tonight, my loves. All right?"

"All right," Sebastian said, embracing his mother without shame, before he stepped to the side and allowed Circe to do the same.

"Be patient with him, please," Cassia told her older daughter.

Circe sighed. "Yes, Mum," she said.

The whistle on the Hogwarts Express sounded then, and Cassia and Severus watched as Circe and Sebastian grabbed ahold of their half-Kneazle and owl cages respectively. They looked through the windows of the train after they had boarded, and smiled contentedly to one another as they both went into a compartment and started talking to the people inside of it. And then, the train began to move, and Severus and Cassia lifted their hands to wave off their children, before they went to the Apparition Point and popped away.

Cassia and Severus, hand in hand, with Severus still holding onto Effie, walked through the gates of Hogwarts, and Cassia lay her head on Severus's shoulder, who, in turn, wrapped an arm around her waist. Once they stepped into the castle, they set Effie down, who ran into the kitchens, and who would ultimately be joined by Perry, who was never too far behind. Once they made their way down to the dungeons, Severus playfully shoved Cassia into the cool stone wall and leaned down to kiss her.

"Severus," Cassia moaned, arching her body against his.

"Perry's looking after Effie, plus the twins are on the train for the next several hours," Severus whispered against her lips. "Maybe we should try to give them a brother or sister, and let them know about it for Christmas."

Cassia flushed then. "That would be difficult, considering that one is already on the way," she said quietly, and Severus pulled back, looking her over.

"Cassia..." He whispered.

Cassia grinned up at him. "I found out this morning," she said to him, basking in the glow that was Severus's happiness. "It's a boy. He should be here by the end of February."

Severus lowered his hand and cupped Cassia's stomach, which, now that he was really looking down at it, was swollen ever so slightly. He bent down then and kissed it, before he wrapped his arms around Cassia and looked up at her, the black pools of his eyes never failing to make her knees weaken. "You're amazing," he whispered.

Cassia laughed. "Oh, hardly..."

Severus rose himself upwards then, and gently traced the scars of the Cruciatus Curse that were still visible on Cassia's cheek. "You are so beautiful."

Cassia flushed and lowered her eyes. "No..."

"Yes," Severus declared, lifting her chin up and staring intently into her eyes. "I love you, Cassia Sybylla Snape."

"I love you, too, Severus Tobias Snape," she whispered back, and parted her lips as his mouth met hers.

It was a silver glow from behind them that distracted them, and Severus turned Cassia lose, save for his hold on her hand. He rolled his eyes in annoyance at the tabby cat Patronus behind them, and said, "Speak," to it.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Severus," the tabby said, and Cassia covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud. "Cassia, you've a visitor in your classroom. He said it was urgent. He's awaiting you upstairs," said Minerva's voice, before the cat faded.

"Let's go, then," Severus said, and Cassia nodded, knowing he wouldn't take no for an answer, as they headed back upstairs and, ultimately, to the third floor.

Cassia pushed the door of her classroom open and felt her eyes widening at the sight of Edgar, standing by her desk, flipping through her copy of _Secrets of the Dark Arts_. When the door shut behind her and Severus, Edgar turned around and immediately set down the volume. "How may I help you, Edgar?" she asked him.

Edgar sighed. "Hello, Cassia," he said then, and Cassia was perplexed to hear no animosity in his voice as he hesitantly stepped closer. "I came here to let you know that Margot died about a year ago, and then Giuseppe died last week."

Cassia blinked, shocked to hear Edgar addressing them by their first names. "Can I ask why you're not calling them 'Mom' and 'Grandpa'?" she asked.

"You can, of course you can," Edgar replied, pulling a hand through his dark brown hair, and Cassia saw a flash of onyx on his ring finger, letting her know that her brother was married. "I figured out, upon Giuseppe's death, that there was a curse, and that I was the one mostly affected by it," he continued, and Severus was quick to be sure that Cassia wouldn't keel over. "The curse was built up because of Margot's apparent resentment of you, and she begged Giuseppe to come up with something to make you an outlier from within the family."

"It sounds like a combination of the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and a Blood-Borne Curse," Severus said softly, and Edgar turned to regard his brother-in-law for the first time. "If I'm correct, it appears as if Margot manipulated family members with torture whenever they came into contact with you, and they perceived it to be coming from you, so they were inevitably influenced to resent you."

Cassia leaned against Severus and shook her head. "I can't believe it..." She raised her eyes to Edgar then, and asked, "So, does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"

Edgar smiled sadly. "I never hated you, Cassia. The curse prevented me from thinking for myself, and didn't stop until after Giuseppe died. Leonardo tried to get me to come back home so that he could curse me, but I'm was traveling for Quidditch that I can't really make my way over to North Carolina, and now, obviously, I won't."

"You're married?" Cassia asked, spotting his ring.

Edgar smiled at that and gazed at the ring for a moment. "I am," he confirmed, summoning a photograph from his robes and banishing it to Cassia and Severus. "That's me, my wife Ivy, and our daughters, Joan, Sarah, and Ruby. Ruby's named partially for you," Edgar said quietly. "I was staring to purge myself of the curse when she was born."

"How old are they?" Severus asked.

"Joan is eight, Sarah just turned six, and Ruby is two," Edgar said, obviously very proud of his daughters. "You may recognize my wife, Ivy. She's the lead reporter for _The Wizard_'_s Voice_; that's how we met, actually."

"She is a No-Maj-Born witch," Cassia whispered.

Edgar nodded. "Yes. After I graduated from Ilvermorny and went out on the road, I met many people, and educated myself against the Pure-Blood Supremacist ways. Ironic, that I felt such a way for years, since we were Half-Blood..."

Cassia slowly handed the picture back to Edgar and sighed. "I suppose that I should tell you that I am a Pure-Blood, Edgar."

Edgar blinked, pocketing the photo. "But, how is that possible? We're brother and sister—full-siblings..."

Cassia swallowed. "No, Edgar, we're not. I was born before Margot married Johnathan, to her and a fellow Pure-Blood wizard, who turned her away when she found out that I was a girl. He, apparently, wanted a son to succeed his legacy."

"Who was he?"

"Gellert Grindelwald," Severus replied. "Cassia didn't want the name, and she sold off the castle property to turn it into an orphanage for the children who lost their families in the war. She also used the fortune to help re-build Hogwarts."

Edgar blew out a puff of air. "Wow. I suppose many things were kept from us." He looked at their body language then, and smiled. "You're married?"

"Yes, almost five years," Cassia replied.

Severus put out his hand. "Severus Snape," he said.

Edgar took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you," he told him. "And you have children?" he

wanted to know.

"I'm expecting our fourth child now," Cassia replied. "Our twins start here today, as a matter of fact—Sebastian and Circe. Then there's our younger daughter, Effie, and then our son, who is due in February."

"I'm really happy for you, Cassia," Edgar said, his tone genuine. "Minerva told me that this was your classroom."

Cassia nodded. "Yes. I've held the position for four years. I'm also the Head of Gryffindor House," she said proudly.

"And you're the potions master," Edgar said, looking at Severus.

"And Head of Slytherin House," Severus put in.

Edgar smiled, obviously happy for his sister. "Cassia, even though I'm sure you understand that none of my treatment towards you was, well, me, I still hope that you can one day accept my apology for all of it," he told her, and held out his hand.

Cassia stared at his hand. "No."

Edgar blinked, and pulled back his hand. "Right. Sorry," he said, shaking his head. "That was really stupid. I'm sorry..."

Cassia squeezed Severus's hand before she crossed over to Edgar and smiled at him. "I can't accept your apology because there's nothing to forgive," she told him softly. "You had nothing to do with the curse that Margot and Giuseppe put on you, Edgar. When I left, you were only fifteen, and still a child. And now that I know the cause of your behavior, and I understand it completely, I am more than happy to welcome you into my family."

Edgar smiled. "Thank you, Cassia," he said.

Cassia crossed towards him then and put her arms around him, and was relieved when he embraced her as well. "So," she said, letting go after a moment, "what's been going on with your life, Edgar?"

Edgar grinned. "Well, I'm not a Beater anymore."

"You're not?" Severus asked. "Cassia said you loved to fly."

"And I do," Edgar assured him. "Just got injured one too many times, and the training was a total bitch, and the traveling kept me away from my girls."

"So, what are you doing with your life?" Cassia asked.

"I work for the MACUSA now," Edgar said proudly. "I work in the Department of the Body of Protection for Magical Species."

"You ever see Alabaster or Samantha?"

Edgar nodded. "I do. It's nice to have them around. I... I missed on an awful lot when I was cursed, Cassia. Now, I just want to live my life."

Severus put an arm around Cassia's shoulders. "So do we," he replied.

. . .

TWENTY-TWO YEARS LATER

Cassia had just finished grading her final exams for her seventh-year Gryffindor and Slytherin class of Defense Against the Dark Arts; the assignment was on werewolves, and they had been instructed to write an essay based on fact, not fiction. She was pleased to find that the lowest grade she gave her students was A for Acceptable, and, just as she finished, she permitted herself a final look around the classroom.

It hadn't changed much since Hogwarts had been re-built nearly thirty years before. Of course, with Minerva long dead and Filius taking up the post as Headmaster of Hogwarts, things had been geared more towards Charms and not Transfigurations in days past. Severus had retired a decade ago, and now, the time had come for Cassia to do so. She spelled the papers to the owlery after wrapping them up, knowing that the owls would be prompt in delivering the final grades to the eager students, and made her way into the small inner room she had, which mainly accommodated her and Severus, on days when he could be persuaded to leave behind his private brewing business to spend time with his wife.

Cassia finished clearing her private rooms and made sure that everything was prepared for the autumn, when a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor would take over. She smiled to herself as she shrunk down he trunk, and gathered Amara, who was getting slow in her old age, into her arms, before she stepped towards the Floo Network and summoned Prince Manor. She then stepped right on through, and gasped aloud when she saw that the living room was full of people, all members of her family, and she immediately set Amara down and embraced everyone gathered in turn.

Cassia then excused herself after a few moments of this, and slipped upstairs to put on an outfit that was more party-appropriate. She settled on a red kaftan-style dress, with gold embellishments near the collar. As she stepped into a pair of red flats, Severus came into the room behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle.

"Was this all right?" he asked.

Cassia leaned back her head then and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Always," she told him, and let out a light giggle when he clipped her ruby necklace around her throat.

Cassia and Severus returned downstairs, and Cassia accepted a goblet of Firewhiskey from Perry, who was running around and making sure that everyone was happy. Cassia leaned into her husband then, and he automatically wrapped an arm around her waist. She smiled at the sight of Sebastian, who had indeed been sorted into Gryffindor and was now an Auror, with his husband, Seamus—a schoolmate of Harry, Ron, and Hermione's—as they tried to keep an eye on their children, Cassandra, Severus, and Adelaide, whom they called Cassie, Sev, and Heidi. Sebastian and Seamus had taken great care to hide their relationship, due to the eleven-year age difference between them, but now were very happy to be out in the open with one another, and stood off to the side, watching the festivities, like Cassia and Severus.

Cassia turned her head then to regard Circe, their Slytherin daughter and Sebastian's twin sister, sitting on their couch, who had calmed considerably in the last decade and a half, likely due to her husband, and former Slytherin Blaise Zabini. Blaise, who sat beside her with a protective arm around his wife, had been unsure about pursuing the daughter of his former Head of House, but love had won out in the end. Circe, like her father, absolutely adored potions, and took the position of potion's expert for St. Mungo's, while she and Blaise raised their four children, Penelope, twins Elisabetta and Vulcan, and Magnar.

Then there was Effie, who looked like Cassia in miniature, who was suddenly caught around the middle and spun around by her husband, Teddy Lupin, and passionately kissed, while all the children—including their three, Remus, Andromeda, and Harry Lupin—all groaned at the public display of affection. Effie had made Seeker, then Chaser, and finally Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, the final role of which she got during her fifth-year. When her godmother, Hermione Granger, had assumed the role of Minister of Magic three years before, she couldn't think of anyone who would be better suited for her Deputy Minister, and so Effie had taken the position upon being asked to do so.

And, finally, there was John Edgar Snape, their youngest son, born a few months after Cassia and her own brother had reconciled. John, who had been sorted into Slytherin, much to Severus's delight, had taken his Mastery in Defense, and became Cassia's assistant professor in the subject while taking the mastery. It was through that that John had met his now-husband, Scorpius Malfoy, who had come out smarting after a bitter divorce, and had come in to discuss his own son, Oberon's, grades with John, who had been filling in for Cassia that day. The sparks had flown and quickly, and now John and Scorpius were married, with John adopting Oberon as his own son, and John and Scorpius adopting twin girls, Astrid and Aurora, from the orphanage that Cassia had established in the wake of the Second Wizarding War. John would be taking over as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor come autumn, while Scorpius was in training to become the next Lord Malfoy.

Harry and Ginny were also at the celebrations, with their children, James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter. They stood beside Ron and Hermione, who had brought their daughter, Rose Granger-Weasley, and their son, Hugo Granger-Weasley. It had been a great honor to Cassia to have Rose given her own name as her middle name, and they were all quite close to the Golden Trio, now that the war was over, and no one was hidden behind masks any longer. They were frequent guests at Prince Manor, and the children had all excelled well during their years at Hogwarts, with James going to work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Albus taking over as Potions Master for Hogwarts, Lily becoming the solicitor for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Rose becoming the Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies, and young Hugo assuming the CEO position of the Weasley's joke shop.

Cassia and Severus continued watching the celebrations going on around them, until they slipped into the dining room, where their own personal copy of Albus Dumbledore's painting was. He smiled automatically as they slipped into the room, and leaned forward in his throne. Cassia and Severus stepped forward, their pace matched, as they smiled at the former headmaster.

"Sounds like quite the party in there," Albus said with a smile.

"It is," Severus agreed.

"Are you having a pleasant time?"

"We are," Cassia assured him.

Albus nodded. "I'm so very proud of the both of you," he said, his blue eyes twinkling. "I am so pleased that you've cared out your own happiness."

Severus turned to Cassia then, regarding her for a moment, and felt pure love within him from the moment she looked back at him. "Are you happy?"

"I am," she responded. "We have such a beautiful life, and now that we're both retired..." She gave a small shrug. "I think the next adventure is just beginning."

"You're happy with the way our life is?"

"Of course," Cassia assured him. "After all this time, aren't you?"

Severus stepped closer then, and pressed his forehead to Cassia's. "Always," he replied, before tipping her chin up and kissing her.

THE END


End file.
